Thursday early evening opening at Albertus Magnus College gallery

Margaret L. MacDonough Gallery at Albertus Magnus College
700 Prospect St., New Haven, (203) 777-1282
Real Places, Ideal Spaces: The Works of Rachel Hellerich and Rashmi Talpade
Feb. 26-Mar. 20, 2009.
Opening reception: Thurs., Feb. 26, 4:30-7 p.m.

Press release

Students at Albertus Magnus College enrolled in a Special Topics course—AH 351: Museum and Curatorial Studies—would like to invite the public to attend the Opening Reception of Real Places, Ideal Spaces: The Works of Rachel Hellerich and Rashmi Talpade on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009, from 4:30-7:00 p.m. at the Margaret L. MacDonough Gallery located in the Campus Center. The exhibition features works by Rachel Hellerich and Rashmi Talpade and will run from Feb. 26, 2009 through March 20, 2009 (except Gallery will be closed March 9-13). Gallery Hours will be Monday-Thursday 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Rachel Hellerich, born in New Haven and now residing in Milford, creates ideal spaces in her elaborately detailed, vibrant, mandala-like landscapes using acrylics, ink, and watercolors on paper and canvas. At the heart of her inspiration are the influential forms of "nature, landscape and architecture" that she sees within textiles (both woven and worn) and a fascination with Eastern art, as well as negative space.

In the exhibit, Ms. Hellerich's use of color, light, and space, in combination with patterns of repetition and intricate formations, appeals to the senses beyond one's imagination. A personal journey for both artist and viewer is intimately rooted in memory of and meditation upon an "otherworld."

Rashmi Talpade, born in Bombay (Mumbai), India, currently residing in Wallingford, constructs modern-day mosaics of real places in her brilliant, photomontage landscapes that use the artist's own photography. Motivated by "history, humanity, and our place in it," Ms. Talpade's work incorporates both realist and abstract elements. The two distinct worlds of eastern India and western American and European cultures collide and merge.

Ms. Talpade's photo collages reconfigure the places of rising development and declining culture in her native and adoptive lands. (Talpade was among the artists whose work in the show Lost and Found was recently reviewed by Connecticut Art Scene here.) Ultimately, this collection measures geographical and cultural distance in terms of both harmony and contradiction, and asks the viewer to "ponder our global existence."

The students are: Christian Ammon, Milford, CT, Melanie A. Gailunas and Jessica Porrello, both of Branford, CT, Arianne Hebert, Hallie Muscente, Patrick See, all currently residing in New Haven, Jessica Mercede, Easton, CT, Kristle Scanlon, Mystic, CT, and Jana Whaley, Deep River, CT.