JO LEWIS
WHERE TWO RIVERS MEET
SOLO SHOW
June 29, 2023 – August 12, 2023
33 rue Auguste Comte 69002 LYON
When we first collaborated with Jo Lewis, it was during the inaugural session of the Valérie Eymeric gallery's cabinet of curiosities, we exhibited her series « breath. » This series on breath was my initial introduction to the artist's work, and although it was different from her usual work, it still defined the concepts of her practice and vision.
For the exhibition « Where two rivers meet, » we are, in a way, returning to her usual practice this time. It is at the confluence, at the intersection of the Rhône and the Saône, far from her usual habits and studio, that Jo Lewis created this unique series, full of subtlety and life.
“ I like the stillness of Nature… stillness full of the tremors of life ”
– Victor Pasmore
This delicate new series reveals a vulnerability absent from her previous works and particularly emphasizes the tension of this encounter. -Yes, an encounter is indeed what it is about.- Jo Lewis's works are the result of a choreography whose process is meticulously prepared and then surrendered to chance. In these moments, Jo Lewis becomes a choreographer of randomness, which, through encounters with the waters, provokes serendipitous moments
Once immersed in the water, the paper captures the moment, engraving within it the memory of that moment, the meeting of these flows, these energies, and becomes a fragment of an elusive encounter. As a result, fine works emerge in the water, full of grace, revealed by Chinese ink that outlines contours, defining volumes. These fragmentary suggestions reveal themselves and assert themselves where voids carry implicit meanings.
JO LEWIS
Confluence 10, 2023
Ink on paper
100 x 70 cm (39.37 x 27.55 in)
But immersion in her work also reveals itself in more explicit forms, affirmed by monochrome wooden panels that draw us in and immerse us in turn. These panels become the gateway to this invisible yet suggested world. From the water's surface, one suddenly finds themselves breathless, in the depths, in this immobility full of materiality, full of spontaneity.
JO LEWIS
Immersed in You, 2023
Watercolor on gesso panel
30.5 x 15 x 3.8 cm (11.81 x 5.90 x 1.18 in)
It is then possible to find a point of connection in the series of « land, » these small formats that accompany the artist on all her journeys, in a production outside of the water, where the only movement is the gentle hand gesture that produces this counterpoint. These drawings become a sort of meditation, a ritual for Jo Lewis, aimed at unburdening her mind from this spiritual obsession.
JO LEWIS
Land Series, Love, 2023
Watercolor on paper
27 x 24 cm (10.62 x 9.44 in)
Ultimately, this exhibition becomes an exploration of this encounter, where each drawing testifies to a conversation, a collaboration.
The challenge for Jo Lewis was to capture the enchanting essence of water and convey it through her drawings, inviting the viewer to contemplate the fragile and ephemeral beauty of Lyon's aquatic landscapes.
With this exhibition, we hope to immerse the visitor in deep and meditative contemplation, where stillness will reveal the tremors of life and lead each person to reconsider the bonds that unite us with our environment.
