Presence
The Media Arts Council is pleased to present Presence, a three-person exhibition featuring new works by painters Carol Lee Hannon and Diane Mont, and cyanotype photographs by Amelia Cain.
“Presence” will run through October 1, 2023. The artists will be present at the opening reception on Friday, September 1 from 5-7pm, which the public is warmly invited to attend.
This collection of work explores the many ways in which artists and art create a sense of presence through the manipulation of color, light, materials, and composition. Unconnected by style and subject matter, each artist employs an original take on how nature and chance intertwine to forge a connection between the image and the viewer.
CAROL LEE HANNON
Each piece here represents a moment of pure thought - unconstrained by an agenda or commonality but driven by an act of impulse based on feeling or a moment in time. My current tendencies to gravitate towards abstract expressionism and geometric shapes further emphasize a break from conventional representation or realism and enters a space where color, texture and movement take center stage.
Carol Lee Hannon is a mixed media artist whose work focuses on the tactile nuances of abstract art in the age of NFTs, altered reality and mechanical learning. After studying visual arts and art history at Columbia University, Hannon forged a career in New York’s garment district, working alongside her family to create hand-painted textiles on silk for top fashion houses such as Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, St. John and Halston.
At the end of 2016, Carol left the fashion world to start a family. She has since replanted her roots in Media, PA alongside her husband, Jason, their two young daughters and her father Han where she continues to create art, enjoy insanely good food, and rejoice in binge-watching Netflix.
AMELIA CAIN
Presence is a series of original cyanotype prints, part of my ongoing investigation into the ways humans interact and intersect with the patterns and rhythms of the natural world. This body of photographs, including camera-based images and photograms, explores the claiming and forfeiture of space and place within landscapes, both real and imagined. Through the cyanotype process, I embrace nature’s unpredictability and allow both choice and chance to factor into the outcome of each piece.
Amelia Cain is a graduate of Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Cain’s latest works explore the cyanotype process. Combining digital photography with a 19th century printing process, cyanotypes bridge the past and present. Cain applies photo-sensitive emulsion to each sheet of watercolor paper using a brush. The process reveals layers of complexity, and is particularly suited to experimentation.
The resulting images are unique and imperfect, painterly and lush. Foraged natural elements make an appearance in Cain’s works as ghostly photograms, a nod to Anna Atkin’s historical use of the process to document botanical findings.
DIANE MONT
Diane Mont has been taking art lessons from a young age, including numerous figure drawing classes at community art centers. Diane has studied under various artists such as Micheal Madigen, Ana Delia, Matiko Mamaladze, and is currently pursuing studies under the guidance of Adrian Martinez. Her artistic endeavors are dedicated to crafting atmosphere, expressing color, evoking emotion, and establishing connections. Diane's paintings focus on the intricacies of composition,color expression, and value tones. She is interested in creating atmosphere through cast shadows and aerial perspective.