VOLAR: The Art of Marta Gutierrez

August 1, 2024 – September 10, 2024
Reception: Friday, August 9th, 2024
Small House Gallery, Goodwin House, Alexandria, Va

Curatorial Statement by Mary Welch Higgins

It is said that an artist notices moments, objects and small details in the world that others do not see. Marta draws on her interdisciplinary background in architecture, furniture design and her personal story to create sculptures and paintings that reveal worlds where the “ordinary is extraordinary”.

She reminds us to look to the world outside of our window and engage nature and the creatures living there – “to see and experience delight in the everyday”.

In her Volar collection of mixed media sculptures, Marta has created birds of different species that express unique personalities and emotions ranging from confident to shy; happy to nervous, curious to reserved.  All are formed through her unique vision and creative skill.

In her biography, Marta describes the experience of growing up in an “inspiring old house in a forest surrounded by friends, family and animals.

When I first read her biography, I pictured an early Miro painting that I saw as a young person in the permanent collection of the National Gallery in Washington DC. It is called “The Farm” and dates 1921-1922.  It shows a magical place populated by array of animals. The lone humans are a woman hard at work and a child sitting on the ground.  There is a even slight hint of a forest in the background. I was drawn to this painting – almost pulled into its world. Today, Marta’s art creates a similar feeling of being pulled into the world of her sculptures.

In the solo exhibition, “Volar”,  we can experience and delight in her birds and reflect on our memories of the winged creatures in our lives.

Enjoy the experience of taking flight.