Rae Stern: In Fugue

Rae Stern: In Fugue features new, groundbreaking works in porcelain and paper. On view September 26, 2019 – February 8, 2020 at the Belger Crane Yard Studios, the exhibition focuses on the elusive and ephemeral nature of memory as both a personal and universal phenomenon. Through the manipulation of translucent attributes of porcelain and paper, and with innovative use of digital technology, the works pose questions about the relationship between object, memory, and time.
The artwork was created during Stern’s term as a Visiting Artist at the Belger Crane Yard Studios Fall 2018 – Summer 2019 and includes an immersive installation she created in collaboration with Aya Margulis, as well as additional works in paper. During her visit, Stern conducted community outreach to locate pre-WWII images from the personal albums of local Kansas City Holocaust survivors and their family members. The images depicted in the porcelain lithophanes portray daily scenes from pre-war life in communities across Europe that were later annihilated.
The focus of the exhibition on material culture seeks to expose the sociological and psychological aspects encapsulated in objects that are traditionally (dis)regarded as decorative art. The use of familiar, everyday items removes elitist barriers and invites viewers to find their own interpretation within the experience. For that purpose, the ceramic medium has been a natural choice, with a rich history and countless options of manipulation. Juxtaposing the imperishable porcelain with the more transitory mediums of paper and wood provokes additional questions about the transcendence of memory.
As the current global refugee crisis intensifies, the exhibition invites viewers to consider the fragility of reality and reflect upon how immigrants and refugees from all societies leave behind rich memories of normalcy, culture, and love.
The exhibition is supported by Belger Arts, Dick and Evelyn Belger, Asylum Arts, Joan and Steve Israelite and Irene Bettinger.