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WHAT'S NEW ?
I have a solo show of my paintings and sculptures at Arts on Douglas, New Smyrna Beach, FL from April 1 to May 27, 2023. There will be an artist talk May 12 at 11 am. Contact the gallery, artsondouglas.net for more information. Below are some pictures from the show. |
Rites of Spring
at Arts on Douglas
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Rites of Spring
at Arts on Douglas
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Rites of Spring
at Arts on Douglas
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Rites of Spring
at Arts on Douglas
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The Press release reads as follows: About the Exhibition
Candace Knapp is an artist of many talents across a range of mediums. In addition to having worked for over 30 years as a sculptor, Knapp is an accomplished painter, a published poet, and a budding photographer. At the core of her creative endeavors is a deep admiration for nature, which is the impetus for her debut solo exhibition at Arts on Douglas titled Rites of Spring.
For this display, Knapp combines sculptures and paintings to explore the awe and wonder of life in bloom. She elaborates,"Spring is when the Earth wakes up and comes alive again. I believe that artworks can remind people to do the same."
Knapp's sculptures and paintings compliment one another, while also possessing their own unique characteristics. Her sculptures are created by laminating and carving wood to create smooth, colorful, abstracted forms that radiate the energy of spring. She notes, "I think of sculpture as meaningful gesture... the message is always in the movement: twisting, reaching upward, retreating, or expanding. It is the dance of life."
Her paintings, on the other hand, ar more detailed examinations of the natural world. Her emphasis is on the remarkable variety of life she observes in forests, springs and parks throughout Florida. Knapp explains, "If i sit in nature long enough, i get lost in the intricate patterns and structures; the shapes and subtle colors. The longer I look the more there is to see. I want my paintings to be like that, endlessly intriguing. Light reflected on water or plants weaving themselves together in a tangle are signs of life to me."
Through this body of work Knapp celebrates the beauty of the natural world while also reminding viewers to take in the wisdom that nature has to offer. She stresses that especially in dark, uncertain times it is important to remember, ..."the Spring still comes. The sun shines on the water, the plants put out new leaves and flowers blossom." She concludes that. "these paintings and sculptures are my affirmation that life, juicy fertile life, will always renew itself."
Candace Knapp is an artist of many talents across a range of mediums. In addition to having worked for over 30 years as a sculptor, Knapp is an accomplished painter, a published poet, and a budding photographer. At the core of her creative endeavors is a deep admiration for nature, which is the impetus for her debut solo exhibition at Arts on Douglas titled Rites of Spring.
For this display, Knapp combines sculptures and paintings to explore the awe and wonder of life in bloom. She elaborates,"Spring is when the Earth wakes up and comes alive again. I believe that artworks can remind people to do the same."
Knapp's sculptures and paintings compliment one another, while also possessing their own unique characteristics. Her sculptures are created by laminating and carving wood to create smooth, colorful, abstracted forms that radiate the energy of spring. She notes, "I think of sculpture as meaningful gesture... the message is always in the movement: twisting, reaching upward, retreating, or expanding. It is the dance of life."
Her paintings, on the other hand, ar more detailed examinations of the natural world. Her emphasis is on the remarkable variety of life she observes in forests, springs and parks throughout Florida. Knapp explains, "If i sit in nature long enough, i get lost in the intricate patterns and structures; the shapes and subtle colors. The longer I look the more there is to see. I want my paintings to be like that, endlessly intriguing. Light reflected on water or plants weaving themselves together in a tangle are signs of life to me."
Through this body of work Knapp celebrates the beauty of the natural world while also reminding viewers to take in the wisdom that nature has to offer. She stresses that especially in dark, uncertain times it is important to remember, ..."the Spring still comes. The sun shines on the water, the plants put out new leaves and flowers blossom." She concludes that. "these paintings and sculptures are my affirmation that life, juicy fertile life, will always renew itself."
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There are so many things I have done over the years: carved statues and made furniture for churches as a business with my husband Bjorn ; had exhibitions in galleries and museums; made public art pieces; written a book of poetry and dabbled in photography. Recently I have left sculpture for a while to pursue painting but I can't really predict what will come next. Here is a kind of overview in the form of a slide show.
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BIOGRAPHY
My father was a toy designer and I was encouraged to indulge my imagination. I earned a BFA in sculpture from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from the University of Illinois. I have had many teachers. I have learned about clarity from the Buddhists, fierce joy from the Sufis, magical holiness from Christian Mystics and life energy from Taoist TaiChi. The main influence in my life and work, however, is my ongoing relationship with nature; with birds, animals, insects, clouds, stars, microbes and especially trees. I have spent most of my life carving wood and feel a strong kinship with trees.
I have enjoyed traveling in Europe, Africa and Asia and lived in Sweden for a year with my husband, Bjorn. In Florida we had a company called Andren & Knapp ( http://www.andoknap.com ) in which we designed and produced furniture and statues for churches. We also worked together on Public Art commissions. All the pictures on this site were taken by Bjorn Andren. He is a gifted photographer.
( http://www.bjornandren.com )
I have done installations at the Brevard Art Museum (later named Foosner Art Museum), Florida Museum for Women Artists, Florida Craftsmen Gallery in St Petersburg, the Morean Art Center and Mt Dora Center for the Arts and sometimes included composed background sounds as part of the work. My work is in the permanent collection of the Miaoli Wood Sculpture Museum in Sanyi, Taiwan (where I was invited to have a show in 2007) and also in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis TN. Lately I have been painting .
My father was a toy designer and I was encouraged to indulge my imagination. I earned a BFA in sculpture from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from the University of Illinois. I have had many teachers. I have learned about clarity from the Buddhists, fierce joy from the Sufis, magical holiness from Christian Mystics and life energy from Taoist TaiChi. The main influence in my life and work, however, is my ongoing relationship with nature; with birds, animals, insects, clouds, stars, microbes and especially trees. I have spent most of my life carving wood and feel a strong kinship with trees.
I have enjoyed traveling in Europe, Africa and Asia and lived in Sweden for a year with my husband, Bjorn. In Florida we had a company called Andren & Knapp ( http://www.andoknap.com ) in which we designed and produced furniture and statues for churches. We also worked together on Public Art commissions. All the pictures on this site were taken by Bjorn Andren. He is a gifted photographer.
( http://www.bjornandren.com )
I have done installations at the Brevard Art Museum (later named Foosner Art Museum), Florida Museum for Women Artists, Florida Craftsmen Gallery in St Petersburg, the Morean Art Center and Mt Dora Center for the Arts and sometimes included composed background sounds as part of the work. My work is in the permanent collection of the Miaoli Wood Sculpture Museum in Sanyi, Taiwan (where I was invited to have a show in 2007) and also in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis TN. Lately I have been painting .
RESUME
COLLECTIONS
Miaoli Wood Sculpture Museum, Sanyi, Taiwan ( 5 sculptures in the permanent collection)
TungHai University, TaiChung, Taiwan (“Flight of Mother Theresa”)
Tampa General Hospital (“Collected Memory”)
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN, ("Tango Solo")
The Ameriway Bank, Houston, TX, ("The Enfoldment")
The Mobile Oil Corporation, Stockholm, Sweden, ("Three Sisters")
The Northwood Institute.Collection, West Palm Beach, FL (“Wind in the Trees”)
HageGården Music Center, Edane, Sweden, ("Nyutsprungen")
City of Tampa, FL (“Underwater Ballet” and “Sunlight on the Lake”)
Tampa Water Dept., Tampa, FL “The Waterbearers” (bronze fountain )
All Children’s Hospital, St Petersburg FL ( “Daydreamers” 12 mobiles for the emergency room)
PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS
City of St. Petersburg, FL, "The Enchanted Mangrove Forest", (Central Avenue) 1995
Hillsborough County, FL (Pavilion Floor and History Walk , Courthouse Square, downtown Tampa)
Hillsborough County, FL (“Litigation” sculpture, County Courthouse)
City of St Petersburg, FL (“The Happy Town Players” nine large sculptures at the Main Library)
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, 1974,
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture ,The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH, 1971 ,
Awarded “Helen Green Perry Traveling Scholarship” , traveled through Europe and West Africa
(across the Sahara) looking at art and people.
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine. Summer, 1969 , Full Scholarship.
COLLECTIONS
Miaoli Wood Sculpture Museum, Sanyi, Taiwan ( 5 sculptures in the permanent collection)
TungHai University, TaiChung, Taiwan (“Flight of Mother Theresa”)
Tampa General Hospital (“Collected Memory”)
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN, ("Tango Solo")
The Ameriway Bank, Houston, TX, ("The Enfoldment")
The Mobile Oil Corporation, Stockholm, Sweden, ("Three Sisters")
The Northwood Institute.Collection, West Palm Beach, FL (“Wind in the Trees”)
HageGården Music Center, Edane, Sweden, ("Nyutsprungen")
City of Tampa, FL (“Underwater Ballet” and “Sunlight on the Lake”)
Tampa Water Dept., Tampa, FL “The Waterbearers” (bronze fountain )
All Children’s Hospital, St Petersburg FL ( “Daydreamers” 12 mobiles for the emergency room)
PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS
City of St. Petersburg, FL, "The Enchanted Mangrove Forest", (Central Avenue) 1995
Hillsborough County, FL (Pavilion Floor and History Walk , Courthouse Square, downtown Tampa)
Hillsborough County, FL (“Litigation” sculpture, County Courthouse)
City of St Petersburg, FL (“The Happy Town Players” nine large sculptures at the Main Library)
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, 1974,
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture ,The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH, 1971 ,
Awarded “Helen Green Perry Traveling Scholarship” , traveled through Europe and West Africa
(across the Sahara) looking at art and people.
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine. Summer, 1969 , Full Scholarship.