Within the parameters of a multitude of 10 x 10 inch spaces on the wall, Isabella Gonzales and Betsy Williams will address twelve chosen themes.. At present, each artist is making a piece relevant to each theme, without discussing or showing their work to the other prior to the show‘s hanging. The themes have been agreed upon by the artists, who selected thoughts that seemed intriguing and relevant, like a game with no right or wrong answers. The themes are like clues that each one is investigating according to her own creative bent. The titles of the two resulting pieces are exactly the same, but the two artists - and their work - are different.

“Sympathetic Resonance” addresses questions of how artists create, what possession of an idea really means, and how artists extract themes and ideas, whether consciously or subconsciously, from the world around them at any given time. This show is about honoring the parallels and differences in their work.

Having willingly embarked on this exploration of ideas in common, Gonzales and Williams are ever aware of the individuality of their separate approaches but also recognize a resonating artistic theme. The themes are both mundane and abstract, and the approach to those themes may be either practical or conceptual. The list of titles includes: “Cell Phone” by Isabella Gonzales, “Cell Phone” by Betsy Williams, “Reflection” by Isabella Gonzales, “Reflection” by Betsy Williams, “Seed” by Isabella Gonzales, “Seed” by Betsy Williams, and so on, for a total of 24 (12 x 2) pieces.

Contemporary artists often work alone in a predictable style. The collaboration between these two artists in duplicate subject matter within a specific size constraint produces paradoxically singular results that, though separate, may resonate with each other, opening up new ideas. The two artists are working independently on each theme, only to share the results with one another when the show is hung. At that point, the collaboration will resume as a visual dialogue through the work.

During the show opening, viewers will be introduced to this collaboration between the two artists, the resonance of the artistic manifestations of an idea, the plucked string and its sympathetic vibration. This show hopes to push the boundaries of a specific vocabulary or style - boundaries which are often the result of working in isolation or within a community of limited scope.

No images from the will be made available until the show is hung on Thursday, May 29, 2008.

Collaborative Piece Themes:
1 Seed 7 Sympathy
2 Cell Phone 8 Streamlined
3 Contract 9 Japanese-y
4 Peephole 10 Multiple Choice
5 Reflection 11 Indivisible
6 Neighbor 12 (Wild Card)