“Veiled: The Art of Heidi Draley McFall" at the Figge Art Museum -- through May 21.
Through Sunday, May 21
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
A series of haunting, deeply personal works by an Iowa City native will be on display at the Figge Art Museum through May 21 with the Davenport venue's housing of Veiled: The Art of Heidi Draley McFall, a showcase in which, according to New American Paintings, the artist lends "an openness and volatility to her subjects that instills a closeness and sense of shared humanness between the artist, her viewers, and her subjects."
Based near DeWitt, Iowa, Heidi Draley McFall creates large-scale portrait drawings that encourage us to explore our shared humanity. This exhibition features work created over the past four years portraying the artist’s family, friends, and past acquaintances. McFall’s connection with the sitters gives her insight into their emotional state and personality. So whether capturing a quiet moment between friends or the features of a close relative, each work has a profound sense of intimacy and authenticity.
Veiled features 19 works created over the past four years portraying the artist’s family, friends, and past acquaintances. McFall’s connection with her subjects gives her insight into their emotional state and personality. Each work has a profound sense of intimacy and authenticity that encourages us to explore our shared humanity. “Heidi’s portraits of her friends and family draw you in immediately -- from the delicate mark-making to the shifting surface textures, these works must be seen in person to appreciate their many nuances and expressive power,” said Figge Assistant Curator Vanessa Sage. “While she has been an artist active in the region for years, this is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to see new, exciting and experimental work by the artist.”
The monumental drawings are sourced from black-and-white film photography that McFall develops in her darkroom. The spontaneous effects that occur during the developing process provide a pathway for her to break away from the confines of traditional realism. Following the creation of the drawings, she coats the paper in resin – a liquid epoxy that hardens into a clear layer. The integration of resin into her art making permits multiple avenues for experimentation. McFall alters the resin through the addition of powders and dyes, and by impressing the top layer with materials, including shower curtains and shrink wrap. The final works are a combination of intention and chance variations, with striking visual effects, intriguing surface textures, and veils of pigment that add depth to the drawings.
“These last four years of making art have been all about experimentation that yielded successes and failures,” said McFall. “Thrilling and exhilarating when the experiments work and crushing when they fail. It's difficult to find humor in that process when, with each work, you know that at any moment one wrong turn, or a lapse in attention, or an unconsidered variable, could mean disaster.”
Veiled: The Art of Heidi Draley McFall will be on display through May 21, with regular museum hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays (10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays) and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Museum admission is $4-10, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7804 and visiting FiggeArtMuseum.org.
