Whitney E. Nye
In this exhibition Portland artist, Whitney Nye examines the patterns of repetition and the pauses that occur in between. Creating both paintings and sculpture, she considers the contrast of natural cycles of entropy and the concept of renewal. How are we able to retain energy? Does the past dictate the future? Working on wood panels with alkyd oils, she treats the surfaces almost like sculpture; layering, sanding, carving, and painting all over again. Sometimes embedding glass within the work, these paintings have richly built up yet serene surfaces. Her sculptures, also created from colored glass, embody natural forms enhanced by their reflected light. Nye’s work sees nature, for both its beauty and as it is affected by humans.
A graduate of University of Oregon, Whitney Nye has had her work included in numerous group exhibitions, such as the Art Gym at Marylhurst University. She has been a member of the Regional Arts and Culture Council’s design team roster since 1988 and an artist in residence at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts.