Michele L’Heureux: All Who Wander

September 9, 2016 - October 29, 2016
Reception: September 17, 2016 at 1477749600
Michele L'Heureux
http://www.michelelheureux.com

“The traveler is the journey. What we see is not what we see but who we are.”

― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet

Inspired by a recent seven-month sabbatical in Lisbon, Portugal and by a multitude of travels across the Atlantic Ocean and throughout the continental United States, multimedia artist Michele L’Heureux ponders what it means to be a wanderer and what can be learned—or, more importantly, what cannot—by leaving one’s comfort zone to explore other places.

Is it true, as writer Alain de Botton posits in The Art of Travel, that “what we find exotic abroad may be what we hunger for in vain at home”? Drawing on the sketchbook images, photographs, and writing she has produced while traveling, as well as from the poetry and prose of Fernando Pessoa, a renowned Portuguese writer, L’Heureux considers the role of the traveler, the relationship between nature and culture, the interconnectedness of the human story, and the impact of history on the landscape.

Through paintings, prints, artist books, installations and more, L’Heureux will bring the Narrows Gallery alive with the spirit of Portugal, the Florida coast, and places off the beaten path.

Artist’s reception will take place on Saturday, September 17th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Admission is  free. The public is cordially invited.

Images (L – R):

Passing Through, 2015
collage, acrylic, charcoal, screenprinting, linoleum block printing, pigment, and watercolor on 300 lb. Arches paper

Florida Finds, 2016
screenprint with fluorescent ink on paper

Wild & Domesticated, 2016
collage, block printing, acrylic, cut paper, marker, cocktail umbrellas, photographs, mail-order birds, wooden cigar boxes

Pessoa Travels 6, 2015
watercolor, Portuguese pigment, ink, and gouache on paper

Lisboa, 2015
accordion book with watercolor, ink, and embroidery thread

Pessoa Toy Theater, 2016
collaged book pages, gesso, charcoal, Portuguese pigment, watercolor, ink, dowels, fabric, decorative fringe, cardboard box, wooden box, found vintage suitcase

(Click on image for larger view)

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