Human experience is comprised largely of small moments and overlooked objects.  While we are continually searching for that which is exciting and dramatic, we tend to lose sight of what is right in front of us, and what is right in front of us is what makes up our lives.  We propose an exhibition that highlights objects and experiences that often go unnoticed.  In doing so we intend to explore the ways that these seemingly insignificant things shape how we perceive ourselves and the world.  As Anais Nin said:”We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are”.  If this is so, then what can we learn about ourselves through seeing? 

Mary Bergs’ work is concerned with compositions of objects and their relationship to one another; it is a poetry of the mundane built around shape, color and texture.  By removing common objects from their usual context she infuses them with new meaning and we are allowed to see them in all of their richness.  Her specific arrangements of these objects create an environment set up for observation, reflection and pause.  She is interested in presenting these materials as they are, so that they can be know to us and perhaps we can be known to ourselves.  Mary’s work is a meditation on the art of paying attention.

Monica Reede’s work has focused primarily on the interaction between our interior and exterior experiences.  She is interested in the ways in which our thoughts, feelings and perceptions shape the way we interpret our lives.  Through the arrangement of images within her drawings and paintings, she creates an opportunity for contemplation and through that contemplation, the potential for something of the viewer’s own self to be revealed.  Monica’s work explores the paradox of how noticing the seemingly insignificant events of our lives can open us up to something larger than ourselves and lead to moments of great pleasure and peace.  Her work, like Mary’s, invites the viewer to pause, reflect and breathe.

In this world of over stimulation, moments of quiet stillness are becoming more and more rare and, consequently, more and more valuable as we attempt to deal with the complexities of our lives.  The work presented here offers the opportunity to stop and look deeply at the everyday experiences and objects that form the background of our individual and collective stories.  While we have explored these themes in a previous installation, we intend to continue to visit this theme and hope to have the opportunity to create entirely new environments that invite viewers to slow down and experience the poetry of their lives.