Joan Konkel

Joan Konkel’s work is a visual labyrinth, active with shifting colors and patterns. Within the labyrinth she captures a bit of the magic and joy of phenomena, in essence one small facet of the complex, mysterious universe we inhabit.

Color begins on a canvas and flows into another dimension where it is capable of transformation. It travels through painted strands of finely woven mesh, a material perforated with space that provides pathways not only for the transfer of color, but for the infusion of light. The forces of light are intensified, refracting not only off painted canvas, but also off thousands of strands of colored mesh. Within this realm, optical illusions and physics play with one's perception. Metal might appear ethereal. A shimmering luminescence can appear. Colors change from different perspectives and sometimes fracture into bi-colored moiré patterns. This is just a sample of the naturally occurring gifts that surround us, a reminder of the marvel of our universe.