Anne Trauben: Step Up on a Stool to Reach the Sky at Watchung Arts Center, 9/16/23 - 10/22/23

by Winifred McNeill
10/13/23

This one-person exhibition by Anne Trauben is an immersive experience into a magical world that is not to be missed. Trauben is a multidisciplinary artist who uses her ceramic practice as a centering device for a range of ambitious artworks. This installation brings together a multitude of materials that pay homage to the night sky and the beauty of the evening song.  

 

Hand-built porcelain forms conceal electrical junctions and enfold lights which hang, wires and all, from a floating framework. Looking up, and with the help of a small flashlight and step stool, one is rewarded by the discovery of monochromatic assemblages affixed to the ceiling.

 

Within the darkened room, participants become slowly aware of being surrounded by a large array of these small, delicate compositions. These highly organized designs are arranged in loose intervals across all the walls of the exhibit. Flat planes of fired porcelain shapes are intertwined with a variety of materials including embroidery hoops, glassine, vellum, and cardboard to become monochromatic constellations of delicate beauty.

Bird songs intermixed with softly spoken words encourage the viewer to look around the space of the exhibition to discover their source.  Within the space of the installation, one becomes aware of the gentle mystery of night.  

Anne Trauben: Step Up on a Stool to Reach the Sky, curated by Paul Pinkman, at Watchung Arts Center, 18 Sterling Road, Watchung, NJ, runs through October 22, 2023.

Winifred McNeill is an artist living in Jersey City. Read Winifred's bio here and view her artwork here.