Kate Cordsen, Ravine 15 (2013). Chromogenic print. A portion of the sales from this print will be donated by Kate Cordsen and Lori Warner Gallery to the Lyme Land Trust.
The Lori Warner Studio/Gallery in Chester is featuring the otherworldly photography of Kate Cordsen with a solo exhibition of Cordsen’s landscapes entitled Ravine. This series of large, minimalist work will be on display from July 13 to Sept. 30.
There will be an opening reception with the artist this evening, Saturday, July 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. and also a gallery visit by Cordsen on Sunday, Aug. 18.
“I am very selective in offering solo exhibitions,” says Warner. “At most I will feature two artists a year, which allows me to carefully consider the integrity and process of each artist’s work.”
She continues, “I felt an immediate excitement the first time I saw Kate Cordsen’s photographic work. Her huge, dramatic prints are widely collected and are often purchased by big name designers, notably her sold out River series.”
In this new work, Ravine, Cordsen is reinterpreting the traditional landscape into something modern and ambiguous. Warner notes, “The end result is simply beautiful and as Moda magazine said, “Kate Cordsen’s landscapes are poetic and vaguely sexual. There is a tension that draws one in.””
Cordsen’s work has a transcendent quality. Her landscapes are often surprisingly emotional and have a deceptive simplicity. They are not directly representative of a particular place or time but rather a metaphorical expression of the land.
Corsden says, “My work boils down to a few fibers of form and emotion. I love the structure and shape of the landscape as well as the innocence. I hope that is conveyed in my work.” She has an extensive background in the fine arts, having studied photography at The International Center of Photography, fine arts at Parson’s and the history of art at Harvard University.
Corsden’s photographs have the shimmering qualities of a Klimt landscape and the sheer, layered washes of color of a Whistler painting – two of Cordsen’s most significant influences.
Kate Cordsen Ravine 16 (2013). Chromogenic print. A portion of sales from this print will be donated by Kate Cordsen and Lori Warner Gallery to the Connecticut River Museum.
The artist’s travels have greatly influenced her spare, minimalist aesthetic. She lived in Manila as a young child when her father was a Peace Corps leader and later, before graduate school, in Japan for two years.
The last 10 years have taken her all over the world photographing for various publications. Corsden comments, “I am drawn to watery scenes particularly where the land and water meet. I have seen some extraordinary places these last few years but, truthfully, none that inspire as much as the Connecticut River Valley.”
She walks the trails in Lyme and Essex almost daily, noting, “It is very impressive how much preserved land there is in this region. This series, Ravine, started on the Ravine Trail in Lyme, but ultimately was shot all over Connecticut and New York.”
The collaboration between Cordsen and Warner is a natural one. Both are artists who maintain studios in the area and draw inspiration from the Connecticut landscape. Cordsen adds, “Lori Warner has a tremendous eye and is quite well respected in the art world. I feel fortunate to be on her roster of artists. Furthermore, she and I have a great deal of respect for the artistic heritage of this area.”
The Connecticut River Valley is well established as an important place in the history of American art and is still a vibrant community of artists. With that, Warner and Cordsen have decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from two selected prints to The Lyme Land Trust and The Connecticut River Museum.
Warner is a graduate of Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Old Lyme.
The Lori Warner Studio/Gallery is a unique source for artwork and objects that make a lasting impression. “My goal is to not just exhibit artist’s work, but rather to foster a collaborative relationship between the gallery and each artist,” says Warner, concluding, “I see this as a platform to experiment with new ideas.”
The gallery is located at 21 Main Street in Chester, Conn.
For further information, call (860) 322-4265 or visit www.loriwarner.com.