CODEX SPECIALIS
 Palimpsest resin paintings by Rebecca Woodhouse

VIVEZA is pleased to exclusively represent and show for the first time, Codex Specialis, a collection of personal explorations and writings in the form of palimpsest resin paintings.  Stemming from a body of work that has yet to be completely unveiled to the public, The Codex provides a rare glimpse into the mind of this artist and writer who delves into grief, hope and renewal. 

Rebecca Woodhouse applies paint as if writing, by pouring resin onto canvas, creating complex fields of color and line. These works are palimpsests, artful manuscripts on canvas that reveal visual traces of the writer’s expressions as the text is replaced over time. Each cursive line stands as a beautiful remnant of the sincerity of recorded thought that mattered enough to put into words and conceal from the passive viewer.  As the text seeps into and over the canvas, legibility and intention are disguised and left ambiguous, leaving only glimpses of the artist’s mind and motivation.

ON EXHIBIT: June 14th – July 16th, 2006
Reception on Friday June 16th, 6 – 10 PM.  Woodhouse will be present.

Rebecca Woodhouse
Portfolio | Biography

At age 16, Woodhouse realized her passion to combine art with intriguing writings. Today she masterfully melds the two genres as she paints words that blend and transform into color, line and texture.

“Exploration and discovery are key components of my paintings, both for my process, and, I believe for the viewers as well,” Woodhouse said.

A palimpsest is writing material —in this case a canvas —used one or more times after earlier work has been scraped away. Just as scholars study palimpsests to reveal the secrets of the Middle Ages, viewers can discover letters and words embedded in the layers of Woodhouse’s work.

“Keeping with VIVEZA’s aesthetic of complexity, each Woodhouse canvas contains a story that seems to be written and unfolding before your eyes,” said Michael Rivera-Dirks, director and founder of VIVEZA. “Words and sentences melt, merge and fade away into pools of color and space. Each new glance brings a different reading, providing a mysterious, ethereal story that always changes.”

After a history in oil painting, this is Woodhouse’s first body of work using epoxy resin. She uses dried pigments and inks to control color and transparency that allows her to reach a new level of complexity.

“I am fascinated by the mystery within the process of working with resin. The fluid nature of the medium appeals to me,” she said. “The way it flows, spreads and hardens enhances the abstraction of the words in the work.”

Woodhouse earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting/drawing from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 2000. Before that she received a bachelor’s degree from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina in 1995 and studied at Oxford University: Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in 1994.

All work, artist statements, and biographies can be viewed online at www.viveza.com.
 

    2604 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121      206.956.3584      www.viveza.com      gallery@viveza.com

Located in Seattle’s lively Belltown neighborhood, Viveza offers access to a wide variety of exceptional contemporary fine art in an exciting and stimulating setting. We make it easier and more enjoyable for people to acquire contemporary fine art for their homes or business.