Visually striking ‘Meditations’ beckons viewer to linger, reflect

“Meditations,” work by MaJo Keleshian, Lydia Cassatt, Deborah Jellison and Larry Corbett, through March 26 at the Department of Art Galleries, Carnegie Hall, University of Maine, Orono.

We think of meditation as a solitary activity – legs crossed, eyes closed, silent, still.

At the Department of Art Galleries on the University of Maine campus, the “Meditations” of four artists become a public conversation. The result is a visually striking, mentally engaging body of work that beckons the viewer to linger and reflect.

The show, curated by art professor Laurie Hicks, juxtaposes the iconic woodcarvings of Larry Corbett with Deborah Jellison’s domestic, family-focused collage and paintings; then it plays the serene, minimal landscapes of MaJo Keleshian against the equally serene, color-soaked landscapes of Lydia Cassatt. They’re similar enough to mesh, but different enough to intrigue.

“I really wanted to do something really different than what has been seen in the museum and in these two galleries,” Hicks said. “I was trying to put together a group of artists who dealt with the issue of reflection and meditation in different ways.”

Corbett works on his carvings outdoors, soothed by the sound of the birds and the wind. His tall, slender statues and wooden masks are influenced by many cultures, yet executed in a style all his own. Since he started carving in earnest five years ago, he has amassed more than 120 pieces, most of which inhabit the yard at his parents’ home in Eddington.

“There’s a sense of animation,” Corbett said. “You take a plain piece of wood, put something in it, and it has a life all its own. I think that’s kind of fun.”

Hicks paired his work with Jellison’s rich, detailed assemblages of fabric, thread, paper, paint and text. Through snapshots and references to domestic life, Jellison explores the relationships within her family – of stories told and untold.

“It is my desire to remember, honor and preserve my memories, to hold precious the family stories often spoken of or shared over cups of tea or during sewing sessions with women of the family,” she writes in her artist statement.

In the upper gallery, Keleshian and Cassatt meditate on the landscape.

“Their work plays off each other very nicely,” Hicks said. “They’re similar, but they show different enough variations on different types of themes.”

The work coexists peacefully – Cassatt’s pastels are vibrant, with their captivating skies and rich tonality. Keleshian’s more abstract canvases and works on paper celebrate nature in its purest form, with minimalist compositions that evoke Rothko.

“I’m trying to convey a sense of what the landscape could be in its more idealized form – what it could be if we didn’t muck it up with all sorts of pollution and development,” Keleshian said. “I keep people and objects out of the image. It’s sort of purposeful.”

Though Hicks admits she wasn’t sure how the show would come together, she’s pleased with “Meditations.” Individually, each artist’s work is intriguing. Together, they compel the viewer to pause, reflect and, most important, to see.

Kristen Andresen can be reached at 990-8287 or kandresen@bangordailynews.net.