By PAULINA MATA/Social Media Editor
On the very edge of campus, a white room filled with floating structures stands still.
That is, until someone steps in.
Slowly, the pink and white shapes that hang from the ceiling begin to turn and move with the new presence. At various heights, the shapes are irregular, as though they are meant to fit into each other if seen from the right angle. The sculptures sway and cast dancing shadows on the art-laden walls.
Lisa Horlander captures nature and its ever-changing form in her art exhibit, “Rite of Way.” Rather than mere paintings of a few trees, however, Horlander’s art depicts the space between the trees.
“I’m engaging the viewer as a participant,” said Horlander. “I’m interested in the visual negative space. What is in between, what is within – both visually and metaphorically.”
As a part of her graduate work, Horlander displayed “Rite of Way” at UT Tyler’s Fine Arts Complex Gallery from Oct. 16-27.
ART EXHIBIT
“Rite of Way” is a collection of about 20 hanging sculptures and 10 watercolor paintings.
The pieces are a tribute not only to nature but also to Horlander’s journey.
“So, there’s a legal term, ‘right of way,’” Horlander explains as we sit outside the exhibit. “It has to do with who has the right to do things to things. Like, the city has the right to trim the tree branches around a power line.
“I also wanted to do ‘rite,’ like the ‘rite of passage’. I wanted to combine both of those. This is also a rite of passage for me to get this done.”
The pieces range in size, shape, and color. The sculptures are dusty pink and made up of paper and wire. Blue and purple trees and foliage cover the watercolor canvases, which are cut into irregular shapes.
“[The color] is a change of time. It was really thrilling as I wanted these sculptures to be lit up in a way that it’s like clouds at sunset. And after I finished it all, I went outside, and it was exactly the same. The clouds were lit up just perfectly.”
Inside the exhibit, there are no signs indicating where to walk, or what each piece is. It’s a quiet, sunset-colored realm of tranquil space and change.
“One of the things I wanted to do is create a path. Like you walk in, it’s darker over there on purpose. It forces you over here to the lit area, or that lit area. And then forces the viewer to walk through in a way.”
Though the paintings and sculptures seem like they’ve popped out of a crystal-skied fairytale, most are inspired by real trees.
“This one,” she said, gesturing towards a canvas, “is a little bit of a compilation of things, it’s a little made up. It’s just different things I’ve seen. But all those trees are the ones that were right outside my studio.”
“I do add a little bit, too, and exaggerate, because, you know, it’s fun,” she says.
Horlander, clad in pink jeans and a yellow sweater, fits right into the scene, an artist walking through the spaces she’s created with her art.
She points out one of the larger watercolor canvases.
“This one’s based off of a tree in my backyard that recently, half of it fell over and out. I know these trees — most of them will probably get cut down pretty soon. You can’t help it.”
Since May, Horlander’s been working to make a long-time vision come to be.
“I’ve been working on this idea since — I think the original idea of negative space and portraying — was in undergrad. I graduated in ‘17. So, it’s been a while,” she says.
COMMUNICATING WITH ART
Since she’s deaf in her left ear, art has become a form of communication for Horlander.
“Growing up, communication was an issue. And for me, I got a lot of attention and interaction with drawing and making things. It’s like breathing. People would understand what I was trying to say. So, I was like, sure. This is great. I’m going to keep this up.”
Horlander’s face brightens at the thought.
“[Art] expresses what I want to say in a different way than my words will say. I can talk to someone in Japan with my artwork in a way that I couldn’t say in Japanese, for example.”
As we drift from negative space to negative space in the exhibit, the pieces turn with us. The sculptures seem to warp with each step.
Furthering the essence of change, Horlander’s art changes from exhibition to exhibition.
“The installation is different every time I put it into a space. I have all these puzzle pieces, and when I go into a space, I can think about how they fit into that space. What if I were to cut it up into another thing and use it in a different way?”
WHAT COMES NEXT
Horlander is not new to showcasing her art. She’s shown at Chaos! 9 at RO2 in Dallas, The Other Fair Art Dallas, the Janette Kennedy Gallery in Dallas, and the Tyler Museum of Art.
Showing her master’s thesis at the Fine Arts Complex Gallery is just a part of her next step in art as she pursues her Master of Fine Arts.
“If someone wants to be in the visual arts,” said Horlander, “graduate school is going to propel [them] further in the art world and open up more opportunities. Artists who have a master’s degree, visually they have a better, more refined, mature work. I wanted that.”
The graduate program at UT Tyler has provided Horlander with the opportunity to improve her art.
“[Graduate school] gives you the freedom to experiment, but also refine things. And I appreciate how the professors give you the help you ask for, and then do a great job of pointing out where you need to grow, what you need to improve on. They’re a good sounding board.”
Horlander plans on “eventually find[ing] a good gallery” that can “represent” her.
“I want better opportunities to show my art. I got to show it in New York a few years ago. I want to do that again. That’s not an opportunity that comes very easily.”
Her master’s degree will help with that. To students questioning furthering their art, Horlander says “go for it.”
“I think they should go for it. I mean, what do you got to lose? Try, try something.”
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