Marcy Hermansader
Seveso, 1981
Color pencil and acrylic on paper
30 inches x 44 inches
Lent by Jonathan Flaccus
it is all a mystery, Drawings by Marcy Hermansader 1981-2015
Special Exhibition
May 7 through July 31
Works on Paper Gallery
“it is all a mystery, beginning when something calls to me – perhaps an object as small and specific as a seed, or as large and formless as two faraway wars.” Marcy Hermansader
Opening in Bennington Museum’s Works on Paper Gallery on May 7 is it is all a mystery, Drawings by Marcy Hermansader, 1981-2015. At first this exhibition may appear to be a group show. But upon closer examination the viewer will see a selective retrospective, featuring four distinct bodies of work by the same artist dating from 1981 through 2015. Upon even closer inspection the distinctive combination of Hermansader’s hand, mind, and eye working together threads the works into a cohesive whole. Hermansader has a knack for inventing new modes of expression for new creative impulses, while always maintaining a distinctive voice. Drawing on a deep well of intuitive, often deeply personal symbols and images, Hermansader’s work is akin to sophisticated visual poetry. “While the works are all paper based, to call them “works on paper” seems insufficient. They are works with paper, drawn on, ripped and pricked, sewn, cut and glued. Each work is simultaneously a fleeting, ephemeral dream image and a highly material, haptic experience for the viewer.” states Jamie Franklin, curator at the Bennington Museum. This exhibition is on view through July 31.