July and August gallery features multidimensional art displayed in glass prints
MT. PLEASANT — Mt. Pleasant Arts IMPACT welcomes the two- and three-dimensional work of Lori Illner Greene from Niota, Illinois to the small art gallery located inside Mt. Pleasant Public Library for the months of July and August.
Featured artist Illner Greene is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary artist who works with a variety of media to explore ideas that are at the intersection of art and science. When viewing Illner Greene’s work, patrons will observe themes of fragility explored through figurative sculpture, pastels and encaustic painting. Illner Greene brings a unique perspective to her artwork as she creates with an understanding of energetic connections associated with particle physics. She often utilizes the technique of paper mâché like assemblage to create sculptures that become the subject of her photographic imagery, drawings and paintings.
Her current collection features images of fragile sculptures. The images are of the sculptures lit seemingly from within; observers can imagine these glowing with expressive energy, caught in a moment of flowing movement. The creations retain some dimensionality through the choice of rendering the images on glass.
“These pieces are from a collection I continue to develop called Fragility and Impermanence which began with an investigation of place — that’s the inner nugget of the original idea,” Illner Greene says of her work. “This work is broadly conceptual, with images that can convey thick layers of meaning. There are more questions by what we see than answers. I am considering what connects us all. What provides that feeling of connection to our place and to each other? What is the real glue? Could it be a common energy?”
“This sculptural work has a through-line to my previous pastel work seeking to depict the energy produced by subatomic particles,” Greene continues. “Animate and inanimate, a ll matter is made of elements and a fundamental energy that binds. That same energy that binds potentially flows through and involves all things. This work believes in an energetic connection of all things and is a fantastical interpretation of what it might look like.”
Illner Greene’s work is influenced by artists such as Petah Coyne and her fantastical shapes and Magdelana Abakanowicz and her Embryology series. This includes pieces produced from natural materials, each with its own personality and individuality — a suggestion of a life cycle in process. Additionally, Illner Greene finds inspiration from artist and author Lucy Lippard who considers ideas of place and the need for a deeper look at, and consideration of, what is place.
Illner Greene’s artistic career includes participation in both solo and group exhibitions with her work appearing in both private collections and in the permanent collections of institutions in Illinois and Iowa. She is the current Executive Director of the Fort Madison Area Arts Association and the Art Center operated in Fort Madison.
She took on the role of Executive Director of the Fort Madison Area Arts Association at the end of May in 2021. She is responsible for operations of the Art Center, exhibit curation, Public Relations, and administration of an association representing approximately 80 artists and over 250 additional supporters. While her role spans all operations, she focuses on program development, expansion of programs to help financially sustain the FMAAA Art Center, and expanding the role of arts and culture in the community.
Patrons can explore Illner Greene’s work at the Arts IMPACT gallery through the end of August and view more of her work at greeneacresart.com
The Mt. Pleasant Library implemented a change of hours as of July 1, therefore the Arts IMPACT Gallery is now available for viewing Monday — Thursday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. — 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. — 2 p.m. The library remains closed on Sunday.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
