Karen Mahaffy

Karen Mahaffy

Exhibition: Sep 18 – Nov 30, 2008


For her WindowWorks exhibition, Mahaffy presents a triptych that simulates an ornately furnished space. The set-like construction is situated close to the gallery windows in order to capture shadows cast by natural light during the day and an artificial light source in the evening. Above the walls, a chandelier form made out of clear, etched vinyl is applied directly to the window separating the installation from the street. The resulting interaction of these elements alters our perception of space and form, and the way in which light informs our understanding of what we observe. The changing conditions of light during the day will cause the work to vary greatly and unpredictably, while the installation after dark takes on a more determined character.

Artist

Karen Mahaffy

San Antonio, Texas, USA

Karen Mahaffy’s digital videos, cut paper works, and installations deconstruct the differences between movement and stillness, interior and exterior, past and present. Her work “serve[s] as a reminder of the exquisite contained within the ordinary … [and seeks] to capture that which exposes otherwise passed-over moments.”
Mahaffy received her MFA from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 1996. She currently teaches at Palo Alto College, San Antonio, TX. Her one and two-person exhibitions in San Antonio include Unit B Gallery (2007), McNay Art Museum (2005), and Sala Diaz 2005). Mahaffy’s work has been featured in exhibitions such as Impossible Exchange, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Texas (2006); The Stray Show Art Fair, Chicago, Illinois (2004); and Beyond the Academy, ArtHouse Jones Center for Contemporary Art, Austin, Texas (2003). In 2006, she participated in the Red Gate Gallery Residency Program, Beijing, China. In 2004, she was the recipient of a Fulbright Group Travel Grant to China.

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