Rite by Katharine Hopkins October 21, 2010

Rite by Katharine Hopkins
October 21st – November 28
Opening reception: Friday, October 22, 6 -9pm

The 440 Gallery is pleased to present “Rite”, the debut exhibition of Katharine Colona Hopkins. For the exhibition, Hopkins presents three large-scale works that encompass painting, wall- drawing, and animation. The artist creates an inexplicit entrance into a subterranean space accompanied by a diagram that illustrates its interior, while an animated drawing abstracts these spaces and takes the viewer on a claustrophobic journey through dark passages. The weight of the imagery is in contradiction to the lightness of the materials Hopkins uses; graphite and charcoal are drawn or projected onto the walls, panels of delicate Japanese paper serve as the canvas for the large-scale ink and watercolor painting.

Hopkins’ images derive from a longstanding interest in the archetypal relationship between humans and subterranean spaces. She states, “These spaces have the ability to fill our imaginations and penetrate our psyche in potent ways. They evoke foreboding and unsettling reactions. I am fascinated with the idea of confronting these dark corners—peering into them, walking into them, and perhaps, discovering the opposite in ourselves—a sense of lightness and peace.”

Hopkins received her MFA in printmaking from Colorado State University, and has exhibited nationally and abroad. She received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Byrdcliffe Artists Guild in August. See more of her work at KatharineHopkins.com.

Please join us for an opening reception with the artist on Friday, October 22nd from 6 to 9 pm. For further information, please contact Communications Coordinator Amy Williams at (917) 862-3898.

Official Website: http://440gallery.com