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Exotic Terrane Exhibition
June 15 - July 14
Exotic Terrane
by Dennis DeHart & Heather Tomlinson
Opening Reception: Saturday June 15th, 3-5pm
An exotic terrane terrain is a piece of the Earth's crust that has merged with another landmass and has a separate and entirely different geologic history
terrainExotic Terrane is an interdisciplinary artist project, Dennis DeHart’s work is centered around Hells Canyon Wilderness / National Recreation Area and adjacent environs. Heather Tomlinson’s work is based on landscapes and textures found in nature. Together, the works focus on place, including a visual celebration of natural beauty, quality of light, and aesthetics. Exotic Terrane also engages with contemporary issues related to public lands, water, and borders. The works are both a celebration and critique of western spaces, in relationships to identity, mythology, and power.
ABOUT DENNIS:
Dennis DeHart’s works engage with the connections, conflicts, and intersections of nature and culture. His photography and interdisciplinary projects weave together interconnected themes of identity, place, and the natural world. Committed to a journey of life-long learning and adventure, art function as Dennis’ primary tool of inquiry. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest; water, and public lands, play a significant role in his identity and world view. Dennis is currently an Associate Professor of Art with Washington State University, which is located on the ceded lands of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) tribe and the traditional homelands of the Palus Band of Indians.
Biography
Dennis DeHart is a photographic artist, whose interdisciplinary projects are informed by the connections, conflicts, and intersections of the natural and cultural worlds. Dennis has exhibited broadly, including dozens of solo exhibitions, numerous media and art contexts, and over 100 group shows nationally and internationally. He has received grants and support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Arizona Arts Commission, Santa Fe Art Institute, Artist Trust, and others. Dennis photographs are included in private and public collections including the J. Paul Getty, George Eastman House, The City of Phoenix, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Dennis received his MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico in 2002. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Photography with the State University of New York College at Buffalo and is currently an Associate Professor of Art with Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.
ABOUT HEATHER:
Biography:
Heather Tomlinson currently works at Eastern Oregon University as a costume design professor in the Theatre Arts program. She holds a BS in Clothing, Textiles and Design and an MFA in Theatre Arts: Costume Design. The focus of her artwork centers around costumes, clothing and fiber arts. Her fiber artwork has been exhibited locally and nationally. She regularly shows work at Art Center East and the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture. Her visual artwork has also been exhibited at the Columbia Center for the Arts, Gallery 110 in Seattle, TuftCon Art Exhibition in Philadelphia and the 13th International Textile Art Biennial “Scythia” in Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine. Aside from fiber arts, she also enjoys making collages. Collages and fiber art are created in a lovely room in her home with lots of windows.
Artist Statement:
The natural beauty of abstract forms and colors found in nature serve as inspiration for her work– those varying shapes, textures and colors found therein. Overlooked foliage trampled under-foot, organic matter hidden beneath rocks or below a person’s direct line of vision. This magnified, nature-based inspiration is affected/changed by current events, emotions and tensions in the world. Depending on the piece, various fiber art techniques are utilized. Her main technique is tufting and serene order is achieved through the layering of yarn of varying colors, widths and textures on fabric utilizing a tufting technique.
