I am excited to be a part of a unique show at Frank Gallery from June 8th through August 7th with Susan Filley, Vince Pitelka, Scott Horner and Pat Scull featuring artwork made during the pandemic sequestration. My new functional art, 3-D tables, and collage/paintings will debut at this show, all of which I made in quarantine. Please join us on June 18th at 7pm for a virtual reception. Save this link and join us on Zoom on June 18th https://ncsu.zoom.us/my/brandfortner.

During the last year in quarantine, I returned to drawing, capturing what was right in front of me, the sacred nature of everyday life, to figure out where I was going and what I was doing as life as we knew it collapsed. Part of being in quarantine for me was re-framing and reimagining the relevancy of things and the role of art. These line drawings inspired a collection of small collage/paintings of women’s portraits, plants, fruit and vegetables. I found myself ‘painting’ layers with tissue; layers of emotion, layers of memory and dreams. 

I also discovered a new form of 3-D art, making one-of-a-kind  tables, a unique form of functional art. The collection of tables are a reflection of my gratitude and love for Mother Nature who has sustained much abuse and offered such a refuge for so many during COVID. These 3-D tables with flowers growing out of their legs and vibrant colors inspired by my time walking in my beloved woods through the seasons are my small, humble way of giving back, a love letter, an apologia to our magnificent Mother Nature.  

A few months into the quarantine, I was offered this show at Frank Gallery. All the art I had been doing became focused on creating a body of work for this show and I am thrilled to invite you to see my art emerging from quarantine. I am honored to debut my collages and tables alongside art from Susan Filley, Vince Pitelka, Scott Horner, and Pat Scull. My art has and continues to be a refuge and it is my greatest hope that my work will offer healing as we re-create the world we want to live in.