S/PLI/T
Chloe Cooper & Tessa Heck
soft/en
August 17- September 18, 2017
*Opening Reception: Thursday Aug 17, 4-8p
CEI ARTWORKS, Corvallis, OR
Gallery hours: 9-5 Monday-Friday
Mon, July 24, 2017- In partnership with CEI ARTWORKS, S/PLI/T Projects is proud to present soft/en, an exhibition of new works from Portland-based artists Chloe Cooper and Tessa Heck. Working in different mediums, both artists reference the body through abstract form, gestural movement, and figurative identities, complicating traditional narratives of femininity.
Chloe Cooper’s mostly abstract 2D knit sculptures contain fleshy elements that question the boundary between body and non-body. Cooper enjoys the meditative and physical movement of using a knitting machine. While knitting, the body moves in a rhythmic repetitive motion, responding to the push and pull of the machine. Her works reflect this motion, the physical body, and its surrounding environment.
Tessa Heck’s paintings and drawings reflect upon the awkward experience of having a female body. She uses unique methods and a complex color palette to traverse spectrums between discomfort/humor, real/abstract, and controlled/accidental in her figurative works. Her portraits, often relating to the self, comment on self-deprecation, absurdity of the body, and finding humor in the grotesque.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Chloe Cooper was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She grew up knitting and sewing small objects and dolls, always keeping her hands busy with new projects. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Textiles, focusing on knitting and material exploration. In 2015 she was part of the MIT Open Style lab fellowship, and currently lives and works as a material designer in Portland, OR.
Tessa Heck is a recent Visual Studies graduate at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR and is originally from NW Montana. Heck received her BFA in Painting/Drawing in Tacoma, WA at Pacific Lutheran University and has worked in London, UK as a gallery assistant. Common topics in her work are humor, absurdity of the human body, sexuality and eroticism. She has shown at Disjecta,The Museum of Contemporary Craft, and Hap Gallery among others. Heck is also a co-founder of Killjoy, an alternative gallery, in SE Portland.
About S/PLI/T
About Tessa Heck
About Chloe Cooper
Chloe Cooper & Tessa Heck
soft/en
August 17- September 18, 2017
*Opening Reception: Thursday Aug 17, 4-8p
CEI ARTWORKS, Corvallis, OR
Gallery hours: 9-5 Monday-Friday
Mon, July 24, 2017- In partnership with CEI ARTWORKS, S/PLI/T Projects is proud to present soft/en, an exhibition of new works from Portland-based artists Chloe Cooper and Tessa Heck. Working in different mediums, both artists reference the body through abstract form, gestural movement, and figurative identities, complicating traditional narratives of femininity.
Chloe Cooper’s mostly abstract 2D knit sculptures contain fleshy elements that question the boundary between body and non-body. Cooper enjoys the meditative and physical movement of using a knitting machine. While knitting, the body moves in a rhythmic repetitive motion, responding to the push and pull of the machine. Her works reflect this motion, the physical body, and its surrounding environment.
Tessa Heck’s paintings and drawings reflect upon the awkward experience of having a female body. She uses unique methods and a complex color palette to traverse spectrums between discomfort/humor, real/abstract, and controlled/accidental in her figurative works. Her portraits, often relating to the self, comment on self-deprecation, absurdity of the body, and finding humor in the grotesque.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Chloe Cooper was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She grew up knitting and sewing small objects and dolls, always keeping her hands busy with new projects. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Textiles, focusing on knitting and material exploration. In 2015 she was part of the MIT Open Style lab fellowship, and currently lives and works as a material designer in Portland, OR.
Tessa Heck is a recent Visual Studies graduate at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR and is originally from NW Montana. Heck received her BFA in Painting/Drawing in Tacoma, WA at Pacific Lutheran University and has worked in London, UK as a gallery assistant. Common topics in her work are humor, absurdity of the human body, sexuality and eroticism. She has shown at Disjecta,The Museum of Contemporary Craft, and Hap Gallery among others. Heck is also a co-founder of Killjoy, an alternative gallery, in SE Portland.
About S/PLI/T
About Tessa Heck
About Chloe Cooper
