Philadelphia Open Studio Tours are happening this weekend and Angela McQuillan is one of the many Philadelphia artists that we will be featuring in our store.  We will be open both Saturday and Sunday the 5th & 6th from 10am-6pm.  You will be able to see works  and descriptions of the works on display in the store. For more info, visit the event page.

Here is one of Angela’s new pieces that will be displayed in the store…

Angela explains her works and process:

My creations are not bound to any one type of medium, instead I explore different materials, textures and surfaces to express my own interpretation of the world around me.  Through my scientific background I have gained a deep appreciation for biological forms and anatomical subjects. I have always found beauty in microscopic images and in cross-sectional explorations of bodies and plants. I am drawn to the multiplicity of repetitive patterns which occur on both small and large scales in nature.   I use scientific imagery as a starting off point to explore my own imaginative internal characters and landscapes.  These biomorphic forms offer a unique visual language that breathes and communicates on the deepest levels of our perception.

In my works, I explore how the subconscious mind creates associations and meaningful connections with nature through the manipulations of forms suggestive of the processes found in the living world.  There is a certain degree of artificiality in my vibrant color palettes and use of manufactured materials.  This level of artifice serves to provide an element of fantasy, or departure from what is tangible or real.  These bizarre life forms cannot be classified in any scientific textbook, instead they are surreal dreamscapes derived from introspection and my own personal vision.

This piece, entitled “Ornamental Viscera” is a departure from my previous two-dimensional work, which was bound to a canvas.  I have always been attracted to mixed media but lately I have been incorporating more fibers and textiles in my work.  Instead of sewing objects onto a surface, this piece is about the objects themselves.  I find this way of working very satisfying because the piece gains a tangibility that I was not able to achieve on a flat surface.   These forms start to take on a life of their own.  This piece is a starting point for a new body of work.