Flight Gallery

Flight Gallery is a mini-gallery located inside Flying Bison Brewing Company. We aim to make art accessible to a wider audience, while showcasing the talent of our local Buffalo artists. Enjoy a sample of what our art community has to offer. For purchase inquiries or other questions contact Parrish at flightgallerybflo@gmail.com or text “Flight Inquiry” to 716-525-0292.

Overwhelming (im)Possibilities

Works by Kari Achatz

On view virtually now through end of  July

Artist Statement | Kari Achatz

Cut. To make an opening or incision with a sharp-edged tool. To cut is to remove from something larger. The ability to slice through and let the light in. I remove and pierce my photographs to reveal the hidden spaces, the colorful stories that lie beneath. Preserving a slice of history, in this time and this moment. My hand cut and layered artwork speaks to the complicated relationships that humans have with their environment, and in this case the focus is on Buffalo’s iconic Grain Silos. The neglected places in this world are not the first we think of when we think of beauty, but if we look, instead of just see, we can find beauty and wonder. Viewing these abandoned spaces and forgotten places through colors, texture, secret spaces, and altered perspectives revel what is and what once was. I create stories and new context in my work, by hand cutting and layering archival prints, leaving the viewer to discover new meanings in these abandoned spaces. Removing the colors from complex black and white prints, invites the viewer to imagine their own story and relationship to the work. Abstract colors layered behind the prints fill the void and help the viewer to imagine what hidden stories lie beneath the surface, and reimagining a new future for Buffalo. My work is complicated. It is not quite college, hotomontage or sculpture, although all of these elements can be considered within the layers of the work. I am pushing the boundaries of traditional papercutting by cutting paper that has photographs I have taken printed on it. The hand cut, lifted, and multilayered works I create verge on sculpture, but remain two-dimensional as they are contained within boxes and frames. I consider myself an artist who draws with a blade, creating a unique language within the artwork. My cutting language reflects the intricacies in which I view the world. Each hand cut piece relates to the next and I do not draw out the organic or geometric patterns before cutting. Each cut informs another. Patterns are cut and layered throughout the negative spaces in the photographs. While cutting, I work from the back of the photograph, treating each space as a unique story and design. Removing myself from the story, allows me to create the most comprehensive narrative focusing on design and negative spaces. I am evoking emotion and storytelling, while preserving a moment in history through my lens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To purchase email flightgallerybflo@gmail.com. Paypal link will be sent to you digitally. Pieces will be available for pick up at the end of July.