"Freewheelin' Again." by Barbara Rizza Mellin

Each work of art in this Freewheelin’ series is a collage of 4"x4" photographic images of a 4"x4" hand-pressed linocut block print. The design of the original print is a quarter-circle segment of a bicycle wheel. It is something known and familiar, yet seems, in this fragmented form, to take on a life of its own. The basic shape becomes lost, as the parts succumb to the whole. Taken together, this body of work explores a few simple concepts of pattern and variation, unlimited possibilities, and the "power of one."

The show will run at the Gladwyne Library from January 1st - January 30th. The gallery is on display during the library's hours of operation. 

There will be a related gallery talk, "Prints Charming"  taking place on Monday, January 13th @ 1pm.

A Brief Introduction to Art Prints by Barbara Rizza Mellin (artist and printmaker whose print-based collages are featured in the gallery) This introduction covers various topics related to art prints.

Register Now: https://lmls.libcal.com/event/13662675

Barbara Rizza Mellin Artist’s Statement:

Freewheeling:

(verb): "to ride a bicycle with the pedals at rest, especially downhill.

(adj, freewheeling): act without concerns for rules, conventions, or the consequences of one's actions.

Printmaking allows me to explore possibilities and to express the many sides of my creativity, whether I’m printing by hand or on my studio press. I love to experiment with elements of the printing process: plates, color, materials, composition. I became intrigued with the idea that one very simple, small pattern could offer endless possibilities of design, much like the simple fabric pieces of a quilt.

For my Freewheelin’ Series, I carved a small linocut block, incorporating the striking linear, but not symmetrical, design of bicycle spokes (1/4 wheel). With a baren, I hand printed the 4”x4” square quarter section four times using basic colors: red, yellow, green and blue non-toxic Akua inks. Next, I had the four original prints reproduced into hundreds of 4”x4” photo images.Then the fun began: arranging and rearranging the images, creating the collages.

•  For the 20x20” square works, I combined 16 photo images of the printed square into each of the larger collages. The combinations are endless, and that is the magic of the series. The results may be symmetrical or truly “freewheeling.” Sometimes a completed wheel forms the center. Other times the wheel/spoke reference is almost lost entirely. For these, I have used only one color, so the pattern remains the focus.
•  For other works in the series, I have varied the color combinations to illustrate the impact that makes on the overall result. And, I have also arranged multiples of the 4” squares into longer spiral and linear shapes.
•  For the rectangular pieces, I decided to use printed images with a small border. This gives the effect of a window pane, allowing these larger image to take on a stained-glass quality. As I mentioned, the possibilities are endless.

The Freewheelin’ series was selected for display in the main terminal of PTI international airport in Greensboro, NC. Works from the series have also been featured at the Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem; in Solo Exhibitions in the Sun Trust Gallery of the Alamance Arts Council, and in the Yadkin and Mebane, NC Arts Council Galleries, as well as Artworks Gallery, Winston Salem; in juried group exhibits High Point, NC, The Bicycle Museum, Houston, TX and Aston Mills Art, PA; and at the Greenhill Center for NC Artists. Freewheelin’ works were also featured in High Shelf Literary & Art magazine and The Hand International Print magazine.