A collection of assemblage and mixed media pieces by Asheville artist Joyce Blunk is on display April 1 - 25 in the Blowers Gallery.

From Artist's Statement:
Painting and drawing feature prominently in my work, most often as part of a sculptural collage displayed in a hand-built wooden box. A theme repeated throughout my work is the abstract enshrining and obsessive collecting of objects that symbolize poignant human preoccupations and vivid life issues, such as loss, melancholy, and the irrevocable passage of time.

Many of these pieces have a quality that invites compassion and pity, possibly even reverence. A central object or group of objects is sequestered, often in a setting of serenity that has to do with redemption and purification rather than only with self-aggrandizement. An important aspect of this projected pathos arises from the patina and surface buildup achieved by working layer upon layer of textures, paint, and markings. This surface treatment suggests both richness and poignancy derived from a relentless state of deterioration that occurs over an extended period of time.

Some of the boxes show my interest in introducing an element of deep space by incorporating the illusion of distant landscapes beyond a window. A contrast is created between the romantic beauty of the landscape and the starker reality of the interior. Most of these pieces show lush mountains at the changing of seasons and at a time of day when the light is moody and transitional. The predominant feeling for me is nostalgia, yearning, and great melancholy. In most of the boxes and mixed media paintings, ordinary items are transformed by being presented in a formal and ceremonious way that alters the viewer’s way of seeing.