Museum Exhibition Titled “Torrent” Explores the Beauty of Storms

Jan. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- (Clinton, NJ) -- Kulvinder Kaur Dhew’s charcoal-on-paper works may be the closest viewers can get to feeling the beauty, power and darkness of a storm without actually experiencing gusting winds and torrential rains.

Dhew’s atmospheric compositions, currently on exhibition in the Hunterdon Art Museum’s River Gallery, explore the turbulent interplay of sky, earth and wind. By using various gradations of gray to black, she creates compelling environments that are both reflective and ominous. The show, titled “Torrent,” runs until March 10.

“I don’t want this to sound baroque, but I suppose it is, in the literal sense, that art can communicate spiritual themes in direct and emotional involvement,” she said. “I like how I can take things as elemental as charcoal and paper and squeeze out of them a metaphor. . . God forbid we want to live through the experiences those images portray but there’s something seductive about them that may have to do with distance. When I draw, I go into a reflective stance. It is here when I feel the most conscious of things. I hope the viewer also feels that and perhaps even acts on it in a positive way.”

There’s a beauty and the beast quality to storms, Dhew notes.  “It’s like Caravaggio’s painting, Judith Beheading Holofernes:  crafted so beautifully, it is more digestible than it would be if you were presented with the reality of the actual event.  The distance between reality and the image makes it possible for seduction of notions to take place.”

The storms portrayed in her drawings are metaphors for personal trials and tribulations, conveying an intensity of emotion like rage, the unknown, tumult and politics. Dhew said, “When I say ‘politics,’ I refer to that situation in which we talk about climate change and the attendant factors. But most of us are not the ones who make the decisions as to how to address the issue. What are the solutions? It seems out of my control and so I throw down charcoal on paper and respond.”

Dhew said immediacy of applying elemental materials to complex concepts like climate is what initially attracted her to using charcoal and paper. “It’s that odd juxtaposition that irony takes place where charcoal and paper are gathered from trees which are so representative of a nature that is being impacted. I like the challenge of creating light out of the dark. The tonal qualities of different kinds of charcoal are phenomenal.”

Dhew was born and raised in England. A graduate of The Royal College of Art in London with an MA in painting, she has taught at universities in New Zealand, Borneo and the United States. Her work is included in collections as diverse as that of the author Kazuo Ishiguru and MTV Europe.

“When I was invited to have an exhibition at the Hunterdon Art Museum I felt so excited,” Dhew said. “I have followed the Museum’s program for many years now and have a great deal of respect for it. Its history of presenting a diverse group of artists is commendable, and I felt honored to be included in that lineage.”

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GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

The Museum is at 7 Lower Center St. in Clinton, New Jersey, 08809. Our website is www.hunterdonartmuseum.org and our telephone number is 908-735-8415. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm and suggested admission is $5.

ABOUT THE HUNTERDON ART MUSEUM

The Hunterdon Art Museum presents changing exhibitions of contemporary art and design in a 19th century stone mill that is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Founded in 1952, the Museum is a landmark regional art center showcasing works by established and emerging contemporary artists. It also offers a dynamic schedule of art classes and workshops for children and adults.

Programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, New Jersey Cultural Trust, The Horizon Foundation of New Jersey and corporations, foundations, and individuals.  The Hunterdon Art Museum is a wheelchair accessible space.  Publications are available in large print.  Patrons who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired may contact the Museum through the New Jersey Relay Service at (TYY) 1 (800) 852-7899.