ARDEN + WHITE GALLERY began the year with the opening of TRANSCENDENCE, a two-person show featuring paintings from Kristen Giorgi and functional forms from Ara Thorose. We had the chance to catch up with Kristen while in the studio finishing her collection of paintings for the show and found out a little more behind the otherworldly works. Read on for a Q&A with the artist.
Picture those rare moments in life when we find ourselves somewhere so beautiful that it seems unreal - almost impossible to describe in words… The works focus on the contrast found in the subtleties of color and layer while celebrating nature as I see it and as I "see" what may exist beyond.
Q. How does this body of work relate to earlier work and how is it a departure?
A. This body of work is a bit of a departure from my typical abstract landscape work but still in the family of my dreamscape series. I wanted this collection to be a bit pulled back and delicate. I wanted it to feel nurturing and stimulating. These works feel a bit more other-worldly encouraging the viewer to look deeper.
Q. You spoke about the works being a reflection of places you have experienced in reality and in your minds eye, was there any specific travel or location inspiring this collection?
A. I think my older works are a reflection of places I have visited or even a dreamlike state. This collection was a bit different as I had the visions and ideas for it building in my head since fall of '22 when I did rounds of physician-led ketamine infusions. The sessions were extremely intense and gratifying. I felt my entire brain being "massaged" and channels opened up that I had never before accessed. I was taken to a place beyond comprehension or reason and shown things I cannot ever express in words. The only way to share the experience was through this body of
work. The landscape of life that exists beyond the world as we know it.
Q. There are such interesting titles for the works in the show. Can you share with us a little more about the work titled The End of the Beginning?
A. The title is a bit of a nod to what most artists experience in the creative process when they get to the part where it's time to make a decision on whether a work is finished or to keep going. This part of the process can even happen early in the creation stage, therefore the beginning almost being the same thing as the beginning without any steps in between.
February 7, 2023
