What Remains

"What Remains" speaks to both the visual and the conceptual depth of the inherent memory embedded in the works of Meginnes and O'Briant.

Meginnes' material of choice - reclaimed textiles - forms the foundation of her process: a physical and metaphorical layering of wear and re-adaptation. Using old, discarded textiles, Meginnes transforms vintage quilts by beginning with the quilt tops or with the compressed and batted stitching found inside of quilts. She then works on these surfaces to apply paint, metal leaf, image transfers, stitching, sanding and other various materials and techniques, creating artwork similar to an abstract painting while still retaining traces of the original pattern, color and wear of the quilt. Her work results in compelling objects that evoke senses of memory and loss.

In the work of O'Briant, the remainders are often phantom forms - such as a chimaera or an abstraction of scientific theory. Her work in ceramics often explores the notions of dark matter, light and shadow, and the passage of time. In this exhibition, O'Briant mines the emotional effect of unsettlement and reconstruction - the physical act of carrying the past forward. Her exhibition centerpiece, "All the Good Things," displays dozens of gold-lustered porcelain bowls containing porcelain seeds, which sit on porcelain objects that resemble concrete blocks. According to O'Briant, these seeds represent her migratory life and the generosity of the people she has encountered along the way.

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