Reni Gower

Region: South

City / State: Mechanicsville, VA

Using the language of abstraction, my paintings integrate collage and assemblage. Acrylic paint is applied to canvas, cheesecloth, aluminum screens, plastic, and rug-hold. These materials are torn or cut into strips, reassembled in layers, and suspended from wooden supports.

I blend a fluid improvisational painting approach with a repetitively structured and analytical one to create complex images that counter visual skimming. I incorporate the circle as a repetitive decorative motif, as a metaphor for binary code, and as a cultural symbol. Through intricate patterning, I combine these references to contrast passive technological consumption with the redemptive nuance of work made by hand. While also addressing issues of beauty, my work becomes an intimate vehicle for reflection or reprieve.

The motifs imbedded in the Fragments series were derived from decorative elements adorning stained glass windows and mosaics found in French cathedrals and municipal buildings.