Art Exhibition at Bay College Featuring, Grids and Pixelation: Visual Poetry and Exhibition by Artists Carol Irving and Michael Friend

News

By Kristine Granger
Published September 27, 2023

Bay College announces an exhibition, Grids and Pixelation: Visual Poetry by artists Carol Irving and Michael Friend.  The exhibition will be on view in the Besse Gallery on the College’s Escanaba campus from October 3-November 30, 2023.  Also, mark your calendars and join us for an Artist Talk and Reception on October 5 at 2 pm ET.  The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Carol Irving

Bio:

Detroit born, Carol Irving moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at the age of 24.  Before her move she had earned a degree in Botany, lived in New Mexico and Oregon, and always had a love for Weaving.  After taking a weaving class, she began to explore weaving on her own.

Early on she took a workshop from Master Weaver, Peter Collingwood.  This began her love of weft faced textiles and Shaft Switching.  Over the many years, she has fine-tuned her craft into an art.

Her designs range from very contemporary and geometric to organic shapes and images.  “I am committed to excellent craftsmanship so that my rugs are not only functional but pleasing to look at.”  Her work is striking when hung on the wall, visually bold from a distance and tactile in its intricate detail.  Her works have won awards in juried art shows and collected by many throughout the US.

Artist Statement:

I am a Fiber Artist, specifically weaving large rugs and wall hangings.  First and foremost, I am a weaver and I speak in yarn and color. But the yarn speaks to me too.  I lean in and listen. 

B&W is a series I have been working on for many years, that calls to me to explore new ground.  These designs are bold, contemporary, and mostly black and white.  There is also another message hidden and interwoven among the fibers.  As a feminist and artist, my design exploration, speaks to my inner most feelings of thoughts, speech, and control.  How women control their thoughts and speech to convey a minimal message to get along in the everyday.

I’m also working on weavings inspired by nature.  Like the field naturalist taking photos, and making quick sketches in their journal, I am trying to mimic those actions.  I have accepted the challenge: turning woven yarn into images of plants, falling water, rocks, sky and soil.  This series is a reflection of my interests, travels and research in the natural world.

The process of weaving can be very meditative and grounding.  Weaving is also very technical and mathematical, because it is so technical, I have to know exactly where I’m going before I get there.  Weaving, using the interlacement of yarns, gives me an outlet to express myself that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere.

My work is about ornament and texture, skilled labor, timeless beauty, and the inner spirit made visible.

Michael Friend

Artist Statement and Bio:

After a thirty-five year career of teaching art and filmmaking in public schools, I realized my passion to become a producing artist. I had the time and opportunity to set up a studio to explore and define my style. I formulated a technique that draws on Seurat’s pointillism, Van Gogh’s rich use of color and my own familiarity with film animation. acrylic paint is my medium, and I have developed a optically complex painting format which is a form of pixilation. using gradual transitions of color change through the application of dots. I create my images by applying black dots to the entire canvas. A grid pattern forms the underlying structure as I concentrate on the interplay of color, pattern and form. Overlapping the dots with myriads of color give dimension to the image. I use color to act on the viewer with the same intensity as cold, heat, sound, and texture. The dots act as the catalyst to my creativity. My paintings are labor-intensive and completed with one brush. They have been described as experimental and adventurous. Imposed order and precise practices are inherent to my work. The artists who have greatly influenced me are Georges Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh, Chuck Close, and Walt Disney.

Bay College is devoted to your success in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce. We’re proud to offer certificates and programs that result in successful careers, associate degrees and credits that transfer to universities, and workforce training to sharpen your skills and advance your career. #BayIsTheWay

The Art and Design program at Bay College is designed to provide students with a strong general education background as well as concentration in art and design. This program is designed for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university. Students should work closely with an academic advisor to select courses needed for their intended major at the four-year institution they plan to attend. The school, through the Besse Gallery and Hartwig Gallery, also provides students with exposure to exhibitions, visiting artists, and artist talk’s exemplifying the cultural breadth of the visual arts from national, regional, and local sources, including the College's permanent art collection. Studios include professional facilities and equipment in Ceramics, Photography, Digital Cinema, Graphic Arts, Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Performance and Installation.