Peg Johnston’s The Alchemy of Denatured Objects and Angelina Blasich’s
Behold Yourself: Life of an Intentional Celebrant
The month of May brings Spring color and nowhere more vibrant than at the Cooperative Gallery 213, May 7-29th, with two exhibits, “The Alchemy of De-Natured Images” by Peg Johnston and “Behold Yourself: Life of an Intentional Celebrant” by special guest artist Angelina Blasich.
The gallery will be open First Friday May 7th 6- 9 pm and every Saturday 11 am- 3 pm and by appointment. There will be a Vaccination Only Brunch Sunday May 23rd 11 am- 2 pm for those who have completed their vaccination (fee $15 Bring vaccination card). More info here.
Peg Johnston is presenting some unusual photograph images that altered due to deterioration. “In cleaning out my basement,” Peg Johnston recalls, “I found some loose photographic slides that had denatured, probably due to exposure to heat. When I looked at the images a kind of alchemy had happened: perfectly ordinary tourist slides from Hungary were transformed into recognizable images with an overlay of exciting patterns and colors giving them a new life.” Denaturation is the process of breaking down chemical structures of the emulsion on the film causing it to lose its shape. “I have thrown out literally bushels of slides, but ironically, the damaged slides are worth more, like the alchemy of turning lead into gold,” Johnston observes. A video about the show is on YouTube.
Angelina Blasich is a dynamic mental health professional, public speaker, comic, award winning artist, and emerging art wear clothing designer. Her figure work in “Behold Yourself: Life of an Intentional Celebrant” is vibrant, celebratory, and colorful. “My art tells a story of woman/mother love, celebratory sisterhood, and joyful reclamation of self as one of the beautiful gifts in the world to behold,” she states. According to Blasich, “Everyone is Art! You are a gift. You are the blooming flower. The lines in your face are gorgeous. The folds of your tummy are art. I celebrate you as I celebrate myself, in earnest, on purpose, and in bold splashes of color.”
Angelina is Co-founder of Purposefully Ridiculous, a joy-centered public access art project that creates spaces for shared silliness and creativity, and as “Chief Ridiculator” is on a life long mission to foster freedom and encourage expression. She has over 25 years experience as a performance and visual artist, educator, and workshop facilitator. In 2019, Angelina delivered a TEDx talk, “Ridiculous on Purpose”, in Provincetown, MA, encouraging the purposeful use of Ridiculation for mental health and community wellness. Serendipitously, Mabel D. Orr on Gorgeous Washington St. is featuring her art wear line this Spring.
The Cooperative Gallery 213 mounts new member exhibits every month and is a popular stop on First Friday Art Walks, sponsored by the Broome Co. Arts Council. The gallery has been open, with COVID precautions, since August 2020, after 5 months of lockdown, and is open every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm and by appointment. For more information go to the website at www.cooperativegallery.com or the gallery’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.