LAKELAND, FL.- Polk Museum of Art will present two new exhibitions, “No Ordinary Days: Works by Maggie Taylor” and “Coincidence: Works by Louviere+Vanessa.” The exhibitions will run January 19-April 20, 2013.
Digital artist Maggie Taylor combines history and imagination. The worlds she lays out in her digital creations include familiar imagery taken from found objects and 19th century daguerreotypes, which she scans and manipulates in her Gainesville studio. Although she retains aspects of their original content, she converts their historical and mysterious significances into something of sophisticated fantasy. This exhibition will be a survey of Taylor’s work and will coincide with the release of her new book, “No Ordinary Days.” Her work will be displayed in the Dorothy Jenkins Gallery.
Vanessa Brown and Jeff Louviere (known collectively as Louviere+Vanessa) are creative partners working to expand the experimental properties of photography. From their home and studio in New Orleans, they constantly strive to push the bounds of image making and reinterpret traditional ideas of photography; using such alternative materials as gold leaf and Super 8mm film, Louviere+Vanessa succeed in breaking with convention. Their surreal subjects emerge from a sense of literary romanticism and tragedy and often include satirical undertones. This exhibition, which will be displayed in Gallery II, will be a survey of their work and will include pieces from nine different series of works.
The exhibitions will be celebrated at a reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, January 18, at the Museum. The artists will discuss their work beginning at 6 p.m., and a reception featuring light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar begins at 7 p.m. The event is free for members and $10 for guests.
Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts in Central Florida. The Museum is one of the Top 10 art museums in the State of Florida, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the only art museum accredited by the American Association of Museums serving the 561,000 residents of Polk County. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays – Saturdays; 1 – 5 p.m. Sundays; and closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free for Museum members. General admission is $5 for adults and $4 for seniors (62 and older). Children and students with student IDs are admitted for free. Special exhibition fees may apply. Admission is free to all from 10 a.m. until noon Saturday mornings. The Museum is fully accessible.
