April 2011: Katherine Treffinger & Maria Wickwire

Katherine Treffinger is a painter who finds joy in discovering harmony and beauty among the chaos. Whether viewing or creating a painting, what holds her attention the most is a sense of history and mystery. Painting for her is all about the paint and, of course, the color. She lays the paint down and then starts responding to it. She pushes herself to go beyond what is safe, nice or precious. Katherine likes to go into a part of the work she is enjoying and do something completely out of control. This forces her to keep working it. The result is that there arises a unique complexity within the resulting painting that cannot be preplanned or explained. “When I stand before an empty canvas or piece of paper, I am lost, unaware of what to do. In fact, my most satisfying work comes from staying lost. Navigational confidence is seldom productive for me. Each piece becomes the recording of a unique introspective exploration.”

Maria Wickwire’s ceramic sculpture explores and honors the many strengths of women. Each sculpture goes through an arduous process to become who she is. She begins as a soft and malleable, formless lump of clay, the earliest layers gradually becoming strong enough to support the new growth that will be added. Finally, she acquires glaze patinas and passes through several firings, during which the body shrinks and moves, melts and glows, until it has changed completely and can nevermore be the undefined lump of clay it once was. The metamorphosis is not unlike the story of a woman’s life, passing through the crucibles of her life experience and emerging stronger each time, but carrying with her the beautiful marks of courage earned along the way.