Leave a Mark: An Abstract Group Show

Four abstract artists — all women; all living in Charleston; all leaving their marks on the south's art landscape.

Although the artists featured in Meyer Vogl Gallery’s group show, LEAVE A MARK, span four different generations (the youngest being in her early 20s and the oldest being in her mid 70s), they all speak through the marks they make on their canvas. They are Laura Deems, Marissa Vogl, Anne Darby Parker, and Susan Altman, and their group exhibition opens August 3.

“The making of marks has always excited me,” says Altman. “Marks are my vocabulary. They are my signature.”

Think bold lines and purposeful brushstrokes. Think texture, edges, negative space, and color.

“The freedom and immediacy in the marks, wandering over the canvas only to be abruptly cut off, reveals both the fluidity and the harshness of gestural motion,” says Deems about her work. “The canvas ceases to serve as a window to convey images and ideas, rather it becomes a space invoking the very movements that orchestrated those marks.”

The exhibition will take place from August 3 to 31. An opening reception will be held at Meyer Vogl Gallery on Friday, August 3, from 5 to 8pm, with the artists in attendance.

Parker, who abstracts the female figure, says, “With gestural lines, I start the process of self-expression, releasing my hand to guide the tools. As the composition builds, I start to find connections. These connections are like the weaving of yarn and relationships in my life. I see them more clearly as I get to know the painting.”