#art912, Embedded
July 16, 2021 to April 17, 2022 Jepson Center
Telfair Museums is pleased to announce that Savannah-based artist Kelly Boehmer (American, B. 1980) has been selected to create a site-specific installation in the Jepson Center’s Barnard Street windowsfor the 2021 iteration of Boxed In/Break Out. Embedded will pack a visual punch―featuring Boehmer’s highly constructed, saturated, and expressive fabric sculptures. Boehmer references iconic art historical works such as Jan van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Portrait (1434) that serve as evocative foundational imagery to provoke viewer responses between her viscerally crafted scenes and our own complex emotional baggage. Dr. Kimberli Gant, McKinnon Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art at the Chrysler Museums and guest judge, noted how Boehmer’s work also offers a mirror to our present day moment: “The theme of tragedy with humor feels very much appropriate for the times we’re in, the absurdity of politics, economics, and society is both hilarious and incredibly tragic.”
About the Artist:
Kelly Boehmer was born in Laurel, Maryland. She has exhibited and performed her work nationally and internationally including shows in Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, New York City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, San Juan, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She received her BFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in Studio Art at the University of South Florida. Boehmer is a Professor of Foundations Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design. She is a member of the performance art band Glitter Chariot.
Embedded is part of Telfair Museums’ #art912 initiative, a dedicated platform to showcase the work of Savannah artists.
This exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Erin Dunn, associate curator of modern and contemporary art.
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View image 1 in lightbox:
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Kelly Boehmer (American, B. 1980); Puppy (detail), 2007; fibers, metal, taxidermy, synthetic flowers, glitter; courtesy of the artist.
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View image 2 in lightbox:
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Kelly Boehmer (American, B. 1980); Floral Tapestry, 2016; fibers, synthetic flowers, beads, and faux fur; courtesy of the artist.
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View image 3 in lightbox:
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Kelly Boehmer (American, B. 1980); Molting, 2019; yarn, glitter, faux fur organza and lamé on canvas; courtesy of the artist.
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View image 4 in lightbox:
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Kelly Boehmer (American, B. 1980); Pit of My Stomach, 2019; taxidermy, yarn, faux fur, organza, and lamé on canvas; courtesy of the artist.
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View image 5 in lightbox:
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Kelly Boehmer (American, B. 1980); Gut Lesson, 2017; taxidermy, yarn, faux fur, and organza on canvas; courtesy of the artist.
