The beauty and wonder of resin have captured the human imagination since the Stone Age. For millenia, cultures around the world have used nature's resin, amber, in jewelry and various adornments. In the 1930s, artists began a new chapter in this long history with the invention of epoxy resin, a high-gloss synthetic material to which a vast array of color pigments can be added.
This December, Hemmings Gallery will feature the resin art of Lola, a Bay-area artist whose exhibition "Around the Bend" promises a continuation of this great tradition. Having worked with resin for over a decade, Lola's technique and artistic process have also evolved.
For her, "I’m always dreaming about what’s next. What will excite and inspire. Which parts of former bodies of work will challenge new bodies of work." As compared with earlier geometric multi-layered pieces, her new exhibition will feature softer colors and more literal curves on her signature drip-edged panels.
And like fossils in amber, she understands the true power of her material lies in its ability to capture the viewer's thoughts & emotions.
"I begin each piece by choosing the colors which reflect a feeling but can also bring about a new emotional state. As I pour, a form begins to appear on the surface, and a dialogue starts. These forms are similar to characters in a play. They speak to me and guide me to create their shape further.Eventually, they interact and engage with each other. The challenge in creating this type of abstraction is leaving the emotion undefined. With each artwork, my intent is to create an experience. I allow the viewer to think, feel and find their own significant meaning behind the work."
