Meredith College’s Frankie G. Weems Gallery is currently housing the collaborative installation of Jenny Blazing and Carin Walsh’s “Turning Point.” The featured works display the artists’ depictions of climate change, an issue they feel needs to be brought to light. The Turning Point Art Gallery is available for all students to visit in the Gaddy-Hamrick Art Center until Oct. 1.
Jenny Blazing, a North Carolina resident, is a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate whose work is regularly on display at 5 Points Gallery in Durham, North Carolina. Carin Walsh, a multi-disciplinary exhibiting artist, is also a museum educator and exhibit organizer. She currently works at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
The artwork on display showcases several scenes of cities that have experienced the effects of climate change. Walsh’s work tends to be abstract while Blazing focuses on the scenes of cities. They have a collaborative piece in the gallery, Changing Worlds Now, that truly deserves one’s full attention as it’s fascinating to see how the artists’ differing styles come together on a canvas. This unique piece cannot be missed as it is displayed in a corner all to itself. Using a projector and canvas as the mediums, the artists have created a moving piece of artwork.
The gallery also features a thought-provoking sculpture, What’s Left Behind, by Blazing. At first glance, it seems like a pile of trash in the middle of the room, but upon further inspection the viewer will begin to feel a sense of familiarity. The sculpture, which seems to be made of found objects such as charred trash and other objects gathered from the outdoors, wouldn't look out of place if one were to move it outside. There also sits a desk with pens, prewritten letters and envelopes. The letters, holding content about climate change and the need for action, are addressed to Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. This piece, Solution Station, allows viewers to take action to help reverse climate change. If one chooses to fill out a letter, they are also able to add a personal note to the senators at the bottom of the prewritten piece.
California Dreamin’, a canvas piece by Blazing, is based on her real life experience. The painting depicts a house on a hill overlooking a city. The home is aflame and the sky is smoke-filled. In the description placed alongside the painting, Blazing informs viewers that the piece is her “response to the devastating wildfire that destroyed [her] parents’ community on Cobb Mountain in California.” Knowing that the scene depicted in the painting is a result of climate change’s effect on Blazing’s personal life only increases the emotion viewers feel upon seeing this piece.
This gallery may leave one feeling solemn and reflecting on our impact on the Earth. Visiting the gallery is highly encouraged as it may provide a new perspective of the world.
By Maggie Barnhill and Anna Prince, Staff Writers