Image: “Ensemble: Thirteen Stories for One Orchestra” by Linda Toigo
Introduction from exhibit curator, Sue Sommers:
What is an ensemble?
In music, an ensemble is a group of people who weave the sounds of their instruments into a unified whole. In fashion, an ensemble is a coordinated outfit created from separate pieces of clothing.
In this book art show, you will find artwork that mixes the idea of “book” with lots of other objects and ideas, to arrive at something new. Here are ensembles made by artist teams; by artists collaborating with writers, musicians, family, or history; and by artists combining materials that may surprise you.
But in every case, the completed ensemble is stronger because each individual part speaks to the other parts and joins in one voice. When we say the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” we are defining a successful ensemble.
This year, thirteen artists from Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, Arizona, and England accepted our challenge to submit artwork on the theme. However, the number of actual participants is much higher, because half of our invitees collaborated with others – sometimes many others!
I hope you enjoy spending time with these innovative ensembles, and find inspiration in the many ways individuals and ideas blend to make to make strong and original art.
Exhibiting artists:
Katie Christensen & Josephine
Camellia El-Antably
Daniel Mayer & Mary McCann
Sue Sommers & Holland Dutton
Ellen Ziegler & Molly Tenenbaum