S A L L Y H E L L E R

o p e n i n g r e c e p t i o n a u g u s t 4 t h 6 – 9 p mU P - R O O T E D

UP - ROOTED

I make trees out of low end consumer goods. Trees are the perfect vehiclefor my expansive collection of refuse as their trunks and branches extendupwards, outwards, and defy gravity at times. In the process of transformingthe materials into trees, I concentrate on creating beautiful and humorousequations that form a new plastic reality. These trees are not a commenton ecology but a mirror of our consumer culture, one rife with disposablehuman detritus. These cheap odds and ends have left a silent imprint onour consciousness. In my work, the organic beauty of a tree is replacedby plastic refuse that has its own aesthetic qualities. They are tenuous,engaging and elegantly crafted. The tension in my work derives from theconflict between mass produced, utilitarian materials and the highly individualized finished pieces. I subvert the pragmatic materials by applyingtimeless handiwork to them. The deceptive frailty of the work and the permanence of the materials mirror our culture’s delusional balancebetween consumerism and the environment.

Included in the exhibition are a series of photographs capturing elementsof a former installation, “Calamitrees”. The photographs transform theephemeral into something permanent, thus creating new works, whichexist on their own as individualized compositions. These abstract-like photographs challenge our visual perspective, forcing us to reassess ourdirectionality, and our perceptions of vision and focus. The photos appearfleeting, like images in a pool of water, some elements clear and distinct,others literally swimming in optical puddles. One understands how eachelement, even in its minuteness, is fundamental to the overall piece.When isolated, these objects suddenly come into relief, emerging fromthe greater compositional web.

Sally Heller

exhibition datesaugust 4th – september 29th 2007

opening receptionsaturday august 4th 6 – 9 pm

Front Cover: UP - ROOTED (detail)mixed media installation, 2007

UP - ROOTED mixed media installation, 2007

CALAMITREES SERIES #1, 2007 50" x 40" c - print

CALAMITREES SERIES #7, 2007 60" x 48" c - print

CALAMITREES SERIES #5, 2007 50" x 40" c - print

CALAMITREES SERIES #3, 2007 50" x 40" c - print

518 julia street, new orleans, la 70130

504.525.0518 www.gallerybienvenu.com

UP - ROOTED (detail)mixed media installationARTWORK © SALLY HELLER 2007CATALOG © GALLERY BIENVENU