UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Woskob Family Gallery will debut its yearly wall commission — "Syzygy" by Rachel Hayes, a textile artist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma — on Oct. 4. The gallery is located at 146 S. Allen St. in downtown State College.
The gallery will host a reception and First Friday celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 4.
"Syzygy" means a fusion of two parts, systematically existing in a predisposed arrangement. Viewers can expect one of Hayes’s signature large-scale, colorful, fabric works, made from translucent and opaque fabrics. Visible from the street, the work will stretch from the front window to the wall on the opposite side of the space. The work will remain on view through fall 2020.
Hayes said she draws inspiration for her work from traditions of quilt making, sculpture, painting, stained glass and fabric craft. Oftentimes her works cast colored shadows and reflections, dialoguing with the sites in which they are installed.
“My work embraces exquisite beauty, converses boldly with architectural spaces, and responds to radiant light, becoming anything from a minimalist sculpture to an abstract painting to a massive stained-glass patchwork quilt. I use processes and materials based in craft and design to create abstract compositions that embrace the language of painting while interacting with space in a sculptural/architectural manner,” said Hayes.
Hayes has gained recognition for her architectural textile installations, which have been showcased in museums, institutions and galleries across the U.S.
"Syzygy" aims to prompt in viewers an immediate sense of comfort, warmth, and joyfulness through its use of vibrant pattern, light and color, said Hayes. Frequently compared to stained glass, her work captures natural light and shadow, allowing it to dance over ceilings, walls and floors. As natural light changes from dawn to dusk, it will filter through the piece differently throughout the day.
"We are delighted to be working with Rachel Hayes, an artist whose work I have long admired," said Gallery Director Ann Tarantino. "Rachel’s work hovers somewhere between painting, sculpture, installation and architecture. Her frequent use of lighting gels from theatrical productions makes her work an especially nice fit for our space, which shares a building with the Downtown Theater Center."
Woskob Family Gallery, is a space for contemporary arts, culture and community engagement, sponsored by Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture. For more information, visit https://woskobfamilygallery.psu.edu.