Ingrid’s work at her upcoming show in Vail will mostly feature her newest abstract work. It may seem like a departure, but it is actually the work within the work that is being exposed. Each layered piece begins with an abstract painting; the figurative construction grows from that point outwards.
Blue, acrylic and resin on canvas
Recently, she set one of the abstract works aside and carefully considered it, lived with it. It was too good to hide, so she decided to keep it that way and start again with another background. Before long, Ingrid had several abstract works. Though they are very different from the layered works, they are also very similar in mood and composition. Complex and hauntingly beautiful, they are a natural expression to her artistic style.
Zen, Acrylic and resin on canvas
The exhibition in Vail will present her newest works, both abstract and transparent layers. To see them together is a rare opportunity and a fascinating look inside the artistic process. It is well worth a visit. The exhibition opens this Thursday, December 29th at Galerie Zuger, Vail. Ingrid will be at the drop-in reception from 11 – 7. Stop by if you are in the area, and Happy New Year.
Tranquility, Acrylic and resin on canvas 48 x 78
Galerie Zuger, is in central Vail on the main floor of the Solaris Building next to Nobu Matsuhisa Restaurant (overlooking the ice-skating rink) at 141 East Meadow Drive, www.galeriezugervail.com 970.476.5619
Ingrid recently completed a commission for a Colorado client. You can see from the photo how large it is, nearly 7 feet tall. It was a challenging piece that was started in March and finished in mid August. We asked her a few questions about working on this piece and commissions in general.
Was the size of this piece a challenge?
I love working on large pieces, it allows me the space to express my visual ideas. But it is also physically very demanding. Just the shear size of the panels and weight can be hard on my body. [The final piece was well over 100 pounds requiring two persons to move it.] I’m very proud of this piece. It brought out some new ideas and challenged old ones.”
Working on a commission
Are there more commissions in the works?
Oh yes, I’m working on one now I’m very excited about. And there is another in the idea stage.
Working on a commission
How long does a commission take to complete?
That’s not easy to answer. It depends how busy I am, if I’m working towards a show. And it depends on how large the piece is. But all things being normal (which they never are) I usually tell the client to allow 4 to 6 months. If I can do them quicker, I always do.
Do you put more effort into a commission?
I pour my heart into every piece I create.
Working on a commission
Would you advise collectors to buy a completed piece or wait for a commission?
It depends on the collector, but I usually advise that they buy the piece they fall in love with when they see it. If that piece is already sold, let’s talk. I can’t do the same piece twice, but I can create something similar. Some collectors are wary of commissions, that they may not be as good as the works the artist creates for himself. If they are uncomfortable, I suggest they wait for new work. But it might help to remember that many of the greatest works of art were commissions: the Mona Lisa, for example. And many great renaissance painters only painted works for patrons on commission. Some collectors are worried that they won’t like a commission piece when it’s done and they’ll be stuck with it. That’s never happened with any of my collectors, but I understand their concern. Each person has to judge their own comfort level about doing a commission. Either way, it always works out.
Here is the official Press Release for the upcoming Exhibition in Vail this week. We are excited for this Thursday, hope to see you there!
A Cameo Performance by Ingrid Dee Magidson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Transparent Canvases of Artist Ingrid Dee Magidson to be Featured at Galerie Zuger in Vail
VAIL, Colorado (July 2, 2012) – On Thursday and Friday, July 5th and 6thGalerie Zuger will be presenting the innovative artwork of Ingrid Dee Magidson. The artist will be at the receptions for both evenings. Magidson, a Colorado artist, has been showing her transparent canvases for just over five years. In that short time, she has captured the attention of numerous museums and prominent collectors, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, The Whitney, the Hermitage Museum Foundation and Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. This exhibition, her second at Galerie Zuger Vail is titled, “The Illusion of Time.”
Magidson mixes modern materials and renaissance images to capture what she calls “the illusory nature of time.” In the piece “The Butterfly Effect” Magidson presents a beautiful renaissance woman in a classic pose. But she is ghostly and transparent. One can see through the subject into the layers beneath. Butterflies hover in and around her as if in full flight. Images, musical sheets, antique jewelry and manuscripts can be seen through her. The more the viewer looks, the more is revealed.
To create this floating effect, Magidson uses layers of acrylic, collage and objects in a kind of three dimensional assemblage or transparent canvas. As the viewer moves around the artwork, hidden objects reveal themselves and others disappear. It is a kind of reverse illusion; what appears flat is actually three dimensional and the objects that are three dimensional appear flat. Once involved, it is difficult to look away.
Magidson is no stranger to art. Both her parents are artists, as is her identical twin sister. Her husband is an art dealer and writer, whom she met at his art gallery. Asked how she came up with her unique style of art Magidson said:
“I used to go to museums with my parents as a child. I never forgot the paintings I saw and wondered how many other beautiful paintings were tucked away in storage that no one would see. Later, as an artist, I decided to bring these paintings and the people they depicted back to life. I couldn’t just paint them in an ordinary way – that had been done before. So I started playing with modern materials and techniques. Those first exploratory months were the most challenging and darkest times of my life, but I finally had a break-through and it made all those moments worth it.”
There will be two receptions with the artist in attendance, Thursday, July 5th and Friday, July 6th from 3 to 7pm both nights. The exhibition will continue for two weeks. Galeryie Zuger Vail is on the second floor of the Solaris building in the heart of Vail, Colorado.
The Art of Ingrid Dee Magidson 