Simmons University Trustman Art Gallery presents “Batik: Three Canadian Artists,” from April 25-June 15 at the Trustman Art Gallery, fourth floor of the Main College Building, 300 The Fenway, in Boston.
The exhibit will coincide with the World Batik Conference, June 7-15, at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. There will be a reception at the Trustman Art Gallery Thurs., June 9, from 6-9 p.m. The gallery will remain open until 9 p.m. in conjunction with the Boston Exhibition tour for conference registrants.
The batik artists featured are Dorothy Caldwell, Bill Morton, and Vernal Bogren Swift. Each brings a unique interpretation of the ancient art form, which is characterized by the use of wax and dye to create patterns and images on fabric – a practice closely associated with Indonesian culture.
Caldwell is a textile artist whose work incorporates North American quilting traditions with “resist and discharge” dyeing techniques. The imagery reflects the natural patterns and human marks as they are recorded on rural landscape. Her work is permanently featured in numerous collections, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Canadian Consulate in Bangkok, Thailand.
Morton’s work is strongly influenced by Asian art. He has exhibited extensively in Japan and spent ten years studying textile dyeing under a master dyer in Kyoto. Swift, who is self-taught, uses her work to explore the relationship of geology and memory. She was awarded the 2002 Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship Grant and the 2001 Artist Residency, Isle Royale National Park.
For more information about the World Batik Conference, visit http://www.worldbatikcouncil.com/.
Trustman Art Gallery hours are 10 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, 10 AM – 7 PM on Wednesday and Thursday. The gallery is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact Kyle Mendelsohn at (617) 521-2268 or find us on Instagram.