Jardin Interieur

Transformer is thrilled to present Jardin Intérieur, a solo exhibition by DMV based artist Marie B Gauthiez. The exhibition explores the layered nature of identity and the distortion of time within the intimate confines of a room. Here, dissonance and harmony intertwine, mirroring the complex and often contradictory passages of the self. Fragments and holes can be seen as steps of growth or loss of identity, while mending, covering, and reassembling are necessary acts of assertion. The environment acts as an allegory, restaging a sense of place that feels both familiar and unsettling. 

Central to this work is an investigation into modularity through grids and strata. The layers question what it means to make do with what you have and how reinvention as a tool for continuity of the self can lead to recons in spite of grief, detours, immigration. Gauthiez delves into how accumulated experiences and emotions can be materialized and perceived. The very shapes and motifs within the space hold personal memories for the artist, but invite contemplation and curiosity on the part of the viewers as they try to make sense of the histories embedded in form and surface.

Gauthiez uses traditional media like oil, acrylic, watercolor, graphite, ink, monotype as well as DIY home carpentry such as plaster, grout, spackling compound, old collected wallpaper, wood. Drawing inspiration from the architect Louis Kahn's quote: “It is important that you honor the material that you use”, Gauthiez honors the inherent qualities of materials and their specific tendencies. All the different parts of the room are not mere supports, but active participants in the narrative that expands the painting field to the entirety to the gallery surfaces, blurring the boundaries between artwork and environment. This ultimately hints at Gauthiez’s on-going interrogations on what constitutes the fundamental essence of an individual's being, their sense of identity and capability despite the internal and external pressures. 

ABOUT MARIE B GAUTHIEZ/

My current work is about identity, mapping of the self, reconstruction and preservation. I investigate how we build ourselves from the inside out as we grow up, using elements of places we inhabited as children. I consider what lines the inner walls of our psyches, emotions and remnants of visual bits. In my work, walls represent an allegory of the self. I think of them as versatile constructions containing the contradictions of our human experiences. They are barriers or protections, mirrors or veils, and also non-sentient witnesses of time. They express place, struggle, culture, beliefs, socio-economic backgrounds, taste, aspiration. I use DIY home carpentry materials such as plaster, grout, nets, latex paints, wood panels and other supplies that I incorporate to acrylic, oil paint, collage, wallpaper, charcoal but also fabric and clay, to fabricate walls that encapsulate past memories, revealed, hidden, protected or damaged. The dynamic of “push and pull” is central to my work and emulates an impression of depth that at times suggests there is a potential passage to recovering something lost and at other times that there is a risk of falling through, without return. I also explore configurations of the grid, as a structure and as a pattern. I see materials and textures as a way of embodying the tactility of memories, the impressions and the biochemical changes they trigger in our bodies called “engrams”. I strive to create layers that give out a sense of decay, tactility or longing juxtaposed with observational charcoal drawings, xerox copies or cyanotypes. I project erasure and disappearance, but I also think about strategies to preserve the self by containing and mapping those fragile memories that are the backdrops of our psyches.

Exhibition Programming:

Opening Day Artist Talk at Transformer 

Saturday, May 10 | 1 PM                        
Join us for an Open House Reception on Sat. May 10 from 12 - 6 PM, featuring a conversation with exhibition artist Marie B Gauthiez, moderated by Kyle Hackett at 1 PM.

Creative Layers: A Collage Adventure!

Tuesday, June 3 | 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Transformer       
Join exhibiting artist Marie B Gauthiez for a 2-hour workshop inspired by the layered narratives and intimate spaces explored in her solo show, Jardin Intérieur. Working from their personal memories of childhood rooms and gardens, participants will delve into the psychological and material process of mixed media collage to create their own visual story. Discover how to layer textures, images, and fragments to evoke a sense of place, time, and identity, much like the dreamlike scenes in Jardin Interior. All materials will be provided, just bring your curiosity and willingness to explore!

Open to the public, free with RSVP: https://creativelayers.eventbrite.com. The capacity is 7 attendees. If you have last minute changes and can no longer attend, please release your ticket so someone else has the opportunity to participate.