Barb Johnson & Anna Rykaczewska: Inside/Out
October 4-25, 2019
Barb Johnson & Anna Rykaczewska: Inside/Out
Opening reception: Friday, October 4, 5:00-9:00 PM
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Barb Johnson and Anna Rykaczewska will display work from their perspective of what they observe in photographed images. The images include both inside and outside spaces. The quality of light as it infiltrates a setting determines how textures and color tones play a major role in their compositions.
Barbara Rybolt Johnson
Artist Statement:
The Elkmont Series of acrylic paintings has been created from photographs taken in the Elkmont area of the Smokey Mountain National Park. The privately owned Elkmont cabins were constructed in the early 1900’s, on property that eventually became part of the National Park.
In 1990, shortly after our family moved from Illinois to Knoxville, we had the opportunity to stay several nights as guests in one of the Elkmont cabins. But in 1994 the Elkmont cabins were turned over to the National Park after several lease periods expired The serenity and beauty of Elkmont remains as a beautiful memory for our family of six.
In 2014 I was invited to the Elkmont area with a group of artists for a day of painting. I took a walk and found the Elkmont cabins, still standing, yet abandoned. I was saddened by the deterioration of the cabins, and I located the cabin where we had stayed as guests 24 years earlier. The rushing mountain stream behind the cabin was just as I remembered, and it rekindled memories of our time spent with very dear friends. The cabin was suffering from natural attrition and from tourists who took pieces and memories from the structure. I found broken glass and frail areas in the cabin that had been destroyed, and it was obvious that time was running out on this sweet setting that once provided a tranquil family getaway. It seemed only fitting to photograph what was left. On that day there was no painting in the park for me, only photography.
A few acrylic paintings in this show are not part of the Elkmont Series, but were created from my photography. The painting titled “Coach Talk” was from a photo taken by my friend Jessica Miller who gave me permission. These paintings also carry the Inside/Out theme.
Biography:
Barbara Rybolt Johnson is from Swayzee, Indiana and earned her degree in Art education from Indiana State University. She taught art in public and private schools, most recently at Christian Academy of Knoxville. Barb is now a full-time artist, teaching private art lessons and a member of Art Group 21. Her artwork has been displayed in numerous juried art venues including the Airport Art Show, Oak Ridge Art Center, Fairfield Glades Art Center, Knoxville Mayor’s Office, and art shows in The Emporium. Currently, two paintings are on display in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. She received Best of Show at the Oak Ridge Art Center Fall Open Show in 2019. Barb and her husband Phil reside in the Lenoir City area. They have four married sons, four amazing daughter-in-laws and ten grandchildren, all making exquisite potential painting subjects. Follow her on Instagram at @barbjohnsonart or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barbjohnsonart.
Anna Rykaczewska
Biography:
I was born, lived and got my education in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. From a very early age, I knew I wanted to be an artist, and dedicated ten years of my education to the study of art. First, I graduated from the High School of Fine Arts, where I was trained in a wide variety of art, including painting, sculpture, graphics, costume design, scenography, jewelry design, and photography. In the following five years, I earned my master’s degree in art history at the University of Warsaw.
After completing my formal education, I worked for seven years as the Art Specialist and Designer at Ars Christiana, the premiere and largest company in Poland specializing in religious art. I married, and my family (husband and two children) resided in many European countries due to my husband’s scientific career. I, in turn, seized the opportunity to visit museums and study the works of the old masters.
Since 1997, my family and I have lived in the United States. My husband continues his work as a scientist at ORNL while I have engaged in volunteering and supporting local organizations. In 2001, the YWCA honored me with a nomination for the “Woman of Distinction” award in recognition of my volunteer art work.
My previous work includes portraits of composer Ludwig van Beethoven and of Maestro Serge Fournier which attracted audiences during the intermissions of concerts by the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and Oak Ridge Chorus in 2003. One of my paintings was presented to His Excellency US Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe by the local Polish-American Community in 2004. This painting was exhibited at the Residence of the US Ambassador in Warsaw for six years. In 2006, at the request of the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, I designed the promotional poster and painted a portrait of internationally renowned double bassist Edgar Meyer. In 2006 and 2014, I had solo exhibitions at Peter’s Jeweler Saloon in Oak Ridge. In March 2014 “Visions Magazine” wrote an extensive article about me, and I was named the “Artist of the month”. In June 2015, I had an exhibition of my art in The Emporium Gallery. In September 2016 my paintings accompanied the University of Tennessee’s “Ready for the World” Music Series focused on Poland. In 2018 my photograph was shown at the finalists’ exhibition of the Knoxville Photo 2018 competition. In the period between 2015 and 2018, seven of my paintings decorated office of the Mayor of Knoxville.
Artist Statement:
1. INSIDE
I met Barb five years ago at The Emporium Gallery. We quickly became friends. I like her kindness, cordiality, and openness to people and different cultures. I admire her paintings, which she creates using an analytical approach -layer by layer. Her approach results in compositions of beautiful colors, full of light and mood. Barb can find beauty in ordinary things. Often the themes of her paintings are of interior spaces, which are created by humans and for their needs and according to the human sense of aesthetics. In the Barb’s paintings these interiors acquire personal characteristics. They become witnesses of scenes from people’s lives, their relationships, their moments of joy and sadness. I like how Barb shows the interaction of natural and artificial light.
2. OUT
On the other hand, my paintings are a kind of travel diary written with paints and brushes. Many of them have been influenced by my travels around the United States of America. Even though I have lived in the USA for 22 years, I am still surprised by and admire the beauty and diversity of nature here. In my paintings, I try to create a synthesis of the memories and emotions that accompany me while I experience these beautiful places. These emotions can be very different from one another, just as there are diverse aspects of the scenery that inspire my imagination. In my paintings, I try to visualize these feelings and share my joy with the viewer.
I remember the intensity of emotions and disbelief I experienced gazing at the unreal landscapes of Yellowstone – as if I was transported to a different galaxy. There, the time counts down not in minutes, but in millions of years. The lakes there are filled with various chemical compounds that change colors depending on the light. Colorful mists hover above them. These landscapes are magical.
My artistic inclinations were stimulated when admiring the Smoky Mountains in autumn. This beautiful range of colors encouraged me to paint.
In turn, in the Arizona canyons, I admired the unusual forms and colors of the rocks. Here, nature plays a sculptor. Here, rivers and wind have carved into the stone and immortalized their history. Repetitive forms create rhythms, waves, which I found myself associating with music. In other places of Arizona, the rock forms look as if some Giants spilled toys from a sack and left them without any thoughtful composition. Some of them feel upside down and deny the laws of physics. I had a similar impression of the geological formations at Arches National Park in Utah – I felt that I was standing on the moon.
Hawaii delighted me with its diversity and the paradox present in its natural environment. For example, one side of an island has the highest amount of precipitation annually in the world- while the other side of the same island has the lowest annual precipitation. Volcanic landscapes are devoid of vegetation and arouse respect and reflection. Elsewhere, it was a joy to see the light breaking through the eternal rain.
I dedicate the entire exhibition to my husband, thanks to whom I could visit places that gave me inspiration.