Press Release:
Tracye Wear
Botanicals
Moody Gallery
March 30 – May 11, 2021
Moody Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Tracye Wear. Botanicals, on view March 30 - May 11, 2021, marks Wear’s second solo exhibition at the gallery since 2016. The exhibition features a new series of graphite drawings, oil stick drawings, ceramic vessels and sculptures which reflect her process as she developed this body of work. Wear is inspired by her combined interests in Cubist and early 20th Century sculpture with natural forms found in her garden.
“In July, 2020, after completing a long project of ceramic work, I sat down and sketched out a new body of work. As my isolation during the pandemic continued, those sketches turned into detailed, intricate drawing of seeds and bulbs from my garden, dried plants friends left in my mailbox and sometimes interesting shaped fruits and vegetables from the grocery store.
I set up a drawing challenge so that I would take time to closely examine these objects in order to later inform shapes and surfaces for ceramic pieces.
The sketches quickly became formal pencil drawings taking weeks to complete.
Simultaneously I began drawing the same objects with oil pigment sticks. Simplifying the images, these drawings sussed out shapes and movement and color. All the drawings reference plants and pods that reoccur in my work or define new forms. The forced isolation in my studio allowed me the time to slow down, look closely and linger over structural details of the many objects I have collected over years from my garden and yard.” -Tracye Wear
Born in Louisiana, Missouri Tracye Wear spent her childhood in Panama and Ohio. Educated in Art and Education at Kent State University, and the University of Arkansas, Wear began her ceramic career in the mid 70’s in Fayetteville, Arkansas with the founding of Calabash Pottery. After her 1997 Art League of Houston sculpture exhibition Wear began to explore non-traditional materials for enhancing ceramic surfaces and began producing encaustic paintings on large wood panels. After three solo exhibitions of the encaustic works Wear returned to ceramic production to create the large vessels presented in her first exhibition at Moody Gallery in 2016. After a distinguished career in public education and community arts organizations, the artist currently serves on the board of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. She has also presented solo exhibitions in Houston at Little Egypt Enterprises, Craftwork Gallery, U. T. Medical Visual Arts Gallery, and Art League Houston. Wear’s work has recently been included in group exhibitions at The Nave Museum, Victoria, Texas; The Cole Art Center at Stephen F. Austin University, Nacogdoches, Texas; Houston Community College; and the Jung Center, Houston, Texas for the ClayHouston Biennial.
The gallery is open by appointment Tuesday - Friday 10:30 am – 5:00 pm. To arrange a viewing of the exhibition please call or email the gallery at 713-526-9911 or info@moodygallery.com. Tracye Wear – Botanicals can also be viewed online at www.moodygallery.com.