"Danced Shoes - Undanced Shoes," a collection of paintings and painted cubes by German artists and sisters Suscha and Cora Korte, will be on exhibit at the Lukacs Gallery at Fairfield University from Tuesday, Sept. 17 through Friday, Oct. 11. The Kortes will present a lecture on their art following an opening reception on Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 6 p.m.

Born in Flensburg, Germany, the Korte sisters have exhibited their work, separately and together, in Germany, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Egypt, Scotland, Belgium and other countries. This year, they brought their exhibit to Hunter College in New York City and the Tyler School of Art in Pennsylvania.

Suscha Korte's paintings are striking trompe l'oeil treatments of plates. Her pictures present three plates of the same size with differing patterns. The patterns are meant to evoke memories of coffee and cake at Grandma's house and other happy times, making an everyday item into a thing of beauty. The large works serve as both a display of painterly virtuosity and a thoughtful exploration of the relationship between painting and everyday objects.

Cora Korte also uses imagery of everyday objects, but from a completely different viewpoint. Her illuminated cubes attract the viewer with their warmth and light. In contrast to the meditative quality of her sister's work, Ms. Korte's cubes seem full of movement and disorder. The relationship between the images and scripts she paints on the cubes is for the viewer to make sense of, bringing up personal associations with everyday things portrayed such as lemons, fleur-de-lis or a director's chair.

The sisters' exhibit is aptly named. While shoes are ordinary, dance shoes are something special. Those that have been used, or "danced," show signs of wear and tell of joyful or sorrowful experiences. Those that are "undanced" are waiting in anticipation of their performance.

Kathryn Jo Yarrington, a professor in Fairfield University's studio art program, is the exhibit's curator.

The Lukacs Gallery is located in Loyola Hall, Room 17. It is open weekday afternoons and several evenings a week. Admission is free. For more information and specific gallery hours, call (203) 254-4000, ext. 2476.

Posted On: 08-10-2002 09:08 AM

Volume: 35 Number: 32