Exhibitions 2018

The Leslie Curran Gallery @ ARTicles proudly presents

PASSIONATE: Heike Mueller

Join us for a reception with the artists:
FRIDAY, OCT 12th
Continuing the theme of her 2016 solo exhibition at Leslie Curran Gallery,
HEIKE MUELLER takes inspiration from the oddly comforting fragments of photo albums. Many of her source photos document family vacations long past—circa early 20th century—moments of leisure, on the beach, at a picnic, or on a hike, with archetypal scenery and visual cues that evoke the quintessential family vacation.  

Exhibition on View:  October 8th through November 24th, 2018

1431 & 1445 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33705This event is free and open to the public.

 

Her compositions on paper and canvas transform these anonymous, informal, and often incidental snapshots into new narratives that seem strangely familiar. 
Thus, the resulting paintings feel like déja vu. One might almost recognize a figure in one of Heike’s paintings as a beloved relative from childhood, with all the warm emotions that evokes but none of the specificity. Faces are often obscured or left blank to reiterate this ambiguity.

Mueller’s strength lies in her expression of the excitement she feels about discovering these open narratives, then breathing new life into stories lost to time.
By recontextualizing the imagery, fragmenting the composition, adding her signature color and pattern, and obscuring some details, she creates new stories that express a certain distinct energy that is difficult to describe, but not unlike meeting Heike herself—simultaneously joyous and reserved, casual and enigmatic. Each painting holds its own story, and the viewer’s own memories and associations are an important part of unraveling the mystery.