Nicole Polentas Coming to Loupe November 10th

[Patti Bleicher]

Although it is still summer, here at Gallery Loupe we are already thinking about the fall. It’s not that we long for the cold but just that we are excited about our upcoming exhibitions. In particular we are looking forward to showing the work of the Melbourne based artist Nicole Polentas. Opening on November 10^th, Psychomanteum will mark the debut of Polentas’ solo work at Gallery Loupe. We first showed Polentas’ work in March of 2011 as part of the Australian Jewelry Topos exhibition.

ισχύς, Hatt-ı Hümayun (brooch) 2011, Sterling silver, paint, photo, plastic, glass powder 95 x 130 x 69 mm

For those who are not familiar with the term, a psychomanteum is an area with “naturally occurring rock pools where people would go to consult the Oracles in Ancient Greece.” For this traveling exhibition, which was previously shown at the Counihan Gallery in Melbourne and at the Gaffa Gallery in Sydney, Polentas has build structures which resemble these rock pools on top of which she displays her jewelry.

The National Reconciliation and the Fool-Hero (neckpiece) 2011 Sterling silver, paint, photo/image, plastic, glass powder, 425 x 265 x 68 mm

Polentas’ work is not just personal but biographical. Hailing from Greece, Polentas’s jewelry “combines the use of personal photographs and excerpts from rizitika songs (traditional music from Crete) to explore how historical legacies relate to one’s ideas of place and belonging. These songs represent the connection between the objects and the artist’s heritage.

KLEPTOCRACY: Hooray to the Absurd (neckpiece) 2011 Sterling silver, paint, photo/image, plastic, glass powder 390 x 255 x 48 mm

Polentas has a very impressive CV, having received both her BFA and MFA at the prestigious RMIT, the artist is now  working towards her PhD and conducting research at the university. The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia recently acquired Polentas’  “The Anamorphosis of Rhea” necklace.

The Anamorphosis of Rhea, 2010-2011 Sterling silver, porcelain, coral, poly-putty. Photo: Jeremy Dillon

Psychomanteum will be on view from November 10- December 1, 2012 with a reception for the artist taking place on Saturday, November 10, 7-9 pm.

Installation shot