rectangle, rectangle
Jenny Heishman

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October 1, 2018 - November 17, 2018
Show opening: Thursday, October 1, 2019, 6-9pm

Specialist presents rectangle, rectangle by Jenny Heishman. In her first solo show since 2015, Heishman showcases the process of “one fiber re-interpreted by another” in her labor-intensive procedure of recreating the intricacies of pulped paper into detailed rugs that mirror paint spatters, aerial landscapes, and confetti.

 Coming out of her 2016 residency at Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, Heishman developed her technique for translating compositions of handmade paper (consisting of an amalgamation of cardboard pulp, abaca pulp, clothing dye, bits of tape, and burlap), into hand-hooked wool rugs. As Heishman describes it: “One process is rapid and spontaneous, the pulp frozen in place as the water quickly drains, and the other is deliberate and repetitive, slowly hand-hooking wool yarn into the rugs.” This technical yet loosely informal combination of materials is at home within the rest of Heishman’s body of work.

For Heishman the act of looking down inspired her newest pieces. Whether it is the image of “confetti littering the floor after a party or the asphalt when the rain is rushing to the gutter,” the pieces in rectangle, rectangle present a beautiful simplicity within their complexity.

 rectangle, rectangle is on view at Specialist from Thursday, October 4th - Sunday, November 18th.

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Jenny Heishman was born in Gainesville, Florida and lives and works in Seattle, WA. She received her MFA from Ohio University in Athens, OH in 1998. Her work has been shown solo and in group exhibitions at SOIL Gallery, James Harris Gallery, and Howard House, including others in Seattle and across the country. She was the recipient of the 2011 Betty Bowen annual award from the Seattle Art Museum, and has been commissioned for numerous public works by the city of Seattle, 4Culture, and the Seattle Art Museum.