FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2 - March 27, 2011

SURFACES

Paintings by Michele Cormier

Opening Reception:
Friday, March 4, 6-8:30 pm

From cracking sidewalks to weathered façades, Michele captures the deterioration of urban surfaces over time.  Erosion, decay and traffic take their toll. What was once a blank canvas becomes a landscape of the inevitable urban condition. 

Whether it is a child’s chalk drawing, a gouge in a curb, or traces of rusted detritus, every sidewalk, stone or wall offers evidence of life and tells a story.  These are surfaces where a child explores his imagination, where you catch a glimpse of your shadow or where the debris of daily living leaves layers of history that create infinitely varying shapes. 

Michele’s work interprets these transformations through multiple layers of paint, glazes, imprints, and mysterious details with random lines and markings.  

Raised in Shediac, a small Acadian village in New Brunswick, Canada, Michele’s work is influenced by the French Canadian culture where her ancestors lived principally off the sea and the land.  Her work reflects this tug between those simple rural influences and the sophisticated urban life she leads.

This is Michele’s second solo exhibit at Touchstone.  Her work is also represented by Gallery 555 in Washington DC, and she has shown in many juried art venues in her short (three year) stay here.  She has also exhibited in many Canadian galleries and art shows in Ottawa, Ontario and her native hometown. See more images at: www.michelecormier.com