In her upcoming show at The Cornwall Library, Collages from Notes on Clarissa, Volume II, artist Gelah Penn presents a selection of 20 collages from Notes on Clarissa, her ongoing project inspired by the 18th-century epistolary novel Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. The novel’s four-volume story is told primarily through the correspondence (more than 500 letters) between four principal characters, and details the drama of a young woman’s seduction, violation, and ultimate tragedy. Each of Penn’s collages alludes to a letter in this exciting and moving novel.

The artist’s interest in film and fiction informs the work. The tragic story of Clarissa reflects her own anxieties about a vulnerable and fraying world. This unease permeates her materials-based pieces, fueling a continuing engagement with an oblique kind of narrative, grounded in abstraction.

The collages in Notes on Clarissa use source photographs from Penn’s expansive, site-responsive, mixed-media installations, which are printed on 5 x 7-inch cards. The pieces in this exhibition are derived from images of the artist’s installation shown at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in 2017.

Penn’s careful manipulation of images highlights the interplay between the lightweight synthetic materials used in her installations and the photographic representation of that work. It is a phenomenological approach that emphasizes atmosphere, form, and visual experience. The reformulation and reconstruction of her work is an essential part of her practice.

After many years in New York City, Penn now lives in West Cornwall with her husband, painter Stephen Maine. Her artwork has been exhibited widely and is in museum collections.

Collages from Notes on Clarissa, Volume II runs from September 16 to October 27. The opening reception is September 16, 5–7 PM. Registration requested for reception at https://cornwalllibrary.org/events/

The Cornwall Library
30 Pine Street
Cornwall, Connecticut 06753

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