PARALLELS // Part 1 presents recent work by Celeste Cooning and Heather MacKenzie. Sourcing inspiration from textiles, architecture, mathematics, and the natural world, Cooning’s body of work, ThePower of Three, features draped, hand-cut geometric cutouts which reference the Japanese hemp leaf pattern, Asanoha. Her dynamic, triad configuration explores astronomy, age-old methods of maritime navigation, and the exponential growth of the universe. MacKenzie’s installation, FATHOM, is an investigation of petroleum-derived fibers. Employing notions of measurement and length, she unravels discarded acrylic sweaters and winds the reclaimed fibers into unwieldy, hand-rolled balls that correspond to the depths of deep-sea oil wells.

CELESTE COONING lives and works in Seattle, WA. She received her BFA in painting, drawing, and art history at Indiana University, Bloomington and her MFA at the University of Washington. An interest in pattern and ornament led Cooning to explore cut paper, a medium that facilitates a particular responsiveness to material, shape, light, and space. The stylized nature and oversized scale of her decorative motifs allow for varied interpretation, with intent to conjure sensations of wonder.

More information about Celeste Cooning can be found at www.celestecooning.com.

HEATHER MACKENZIE lives and works in Chicago, IL. She graduated with honors from Brown University and is pursuing an MFA in Fiber and Material Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. MacKenzie’s work explores tradition, anachronism, and nostalgia. She investigates systems — navigational, bodily, mechanical, political, industrial, and geologic — to confront ideas of abundance, logic, and waste. Her works subvert themes of femininity and domesticity associated with textile and stitch and challenge the perception of conventional craft materials.

More information about Heather MacKenzie can be found at heather-mackenzie.com.

THE MISSION promotes art of the Americas by organizing a diverse program of provocative exhibitions by emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists. THE MISSION takes a multidisciplinary approach to exploring cultural, social, geographical, and historical contexts through presenting artists that shape, inform, and challenge ideas and perception of contemporary art. THE MISSION is dedicated to supporting artistic innovation and experimentation and strives to initiate dialogue among local, national, and international art communities.

More information about THE MISSION can be found at www.themissionprojects.com.

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Tags: ACRE, Celeste Cooning, Heather MacKenzie, The Mission