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Bethann Parker

Interwoven

May 2 - 23, 2024

Selected Works Thumbnails
Anchoring  18" x 22"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Shellac, Crayon And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Anchoring

18" x 22"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Shellac, Crayon And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Inquire
Annunciation  10" x 12"  Oil On Canvas

Annunciation 

10" x 12"

Oil On Canvas

Inquire
Autumn  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Autumn (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Casting Light  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue

Casting Light (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue

Chord  10" x 8"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Chord

10" x 8"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Inquire
Clearing   20" x 16"  Oil, Marble, Shellac On Panel

Clearing 

20" x 16"

Oil, Marble, Shellac On Panel

Inquire
Cliff  22" x 18"  Oil And Shellac On Panel

Cliff 

22" x 18"

Oil And Shellac On Panel

Inquire
Collected Water  12" x 16"  Oil And Shellac On Panel

Collected Water

12" x 16"

Oil And Shellac On Panel

Inquire
Crowning  16" x 20"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin On Panel

Crowning

16" x 20"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin On Panel

Inquire
Dawn  22" x 28"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Dawn

22" x 28"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Inquire
Devotion  10" x 8"  Oil On Linen

Devotion 

10" x 8"

Oil On Linen

Inquire
Dovetail  12" x 12"  Oil On Panel

Dovetail

12" x 12"

Oil On Panel

Inquire
Dowsing  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Dowsing

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Inquire
Embers  12" x 12"  Oil On Panel

Embers (SOLD)

12" x 12"

Oil On Panel

Feather  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Feather

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Inquire
Feral Hymn  10" x 8"  Oil On Linen

Feral Hymn 

10" x 8"

Oil On Linen

Inquire
First Chorus  24" x 28"  Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

First Chorus (SOLD)

24" x 28"

Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

Fragments  38" x 46"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Fragments

38" x 46"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Inquire
Globe  10" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Globe (SOLD)

10" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mending Landscapes  30" x 24"  Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mending Landscapes

30" x 24"

Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Inquire
Midnight   22" x 28"  Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

Midnight

22" x 28"

Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

Inquire
Mining Layers  16" x 20"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Charcoal, And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mining Layers

16" x 20"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Charcoal, And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Inquire
Mirroring Landscapes  16" x 20"  Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Mirroring Landscapes (SOLD)

16" x 20"

Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Morning Veins  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Morning Veins (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Mountain  40" x 40"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mountain (SOLD)

40" x 40"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mummering  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Mummering

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Inquire
Nets  20" x 16"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Nets

20" x 16"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Inquire
Night Fall  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Night Fall

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Inquire
Opening  20" x 40"  Oil On Canvas

Opening (SOLD)

20" x 40"

Oil On Canvas

Pasture  8" x 12"  Oil On Canvas

Pasture

8" x 12"

Oil On Canvas

Inquire
Promise  30" x 24"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Promise

30" x 24"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Inquire
Quilted Field  30" x 40"  Oil And Shellac On Canvas

Quilted Field

30" x 40"

Oil And Shellac On Canvas

Inquire
Retrograde  12" x 16"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Retrograde

12" x 16"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Inquire
Reverence  10.5" x 10"  Oil On Panel

Reverence

10.5" x 10.5"

Oil On Panel

Inquire
Sands of Time  20" x 16"  Oil On Linen

Sands Of Time

20" x 16"

Oil On Linen

Inquire
Sign  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Sign (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Storehouse  8" x 10"  Oil On Canvas

Storehouse (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Oil On Canvas

Submergence  10" x 10"  Oil On Canvas

Submergence

10" x 10"

Oil On Canvas

Inquire
Tapestry  36" x 56"  Earth Pigment, Water, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Tapestry

36" x 56"

Earth Pigment, Water, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Inquire
Threadwork  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Threadwork (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Uncontained  18" x 22"  Earth Pigment, Marble, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Uncontained (SOLD)

18" x 22"

Earth Pigment, Marble, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Unraveling  8" x 10"  Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Unraveling

8" x 10"

Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Inquire
Valley of Wax  18" x 22"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Shellac On Panel

Valley Of Wax 

18" x 22"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Shellac On Panel

Inquire
Veil  18" x 24"  Oil And Oil On Linen

Veil

18" x 24"

Oil, Marble and Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Inquire
Wolves  16" x 20"  Oil And Crayon On Panel

Wolves

16" x 20"

Oil And Crayon On Panel

Inquire
Woven Flight  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Woven Flight

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Inquire
Anchoring  18" x 22"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Shellac, Crayon And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Anchoring

18" x 22"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Shellac, Crayon And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Annunciation  10" x 12"  Oil On Canvas

Annunciation 

10" x 12"

Oil On Canvas

Autumn  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Autumn (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Casting Light  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue

Casting Light (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue

Chord  10" x 8"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Chord

10" x 8"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Clearing   20" x 16"  Oil, Marble, Shellac On Panel

Clearing 

20" x 16"

Oil, Marble, Shellac On Panel

Cliff  22" x 18"  Oil And Shellac On Panel

Cliff 

22" x 18"

Oil And Shellac On Panel

Collected Water  12" x 16"  Oil And Shellac On Panel

Collected Water

12" x 16"

Oil And Shellac On Panel

Crowning  16" x 20"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin On Panel

Crowning

16" x 20"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin On Panel

Dawn  22" x 28"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Dawn

22" x 28"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Devotion  10" x 8"  Oil On Linen

Devotion 

10" x 8"

Oil On Linen

Dovetail  12" x 12"  Oil On Panel

Dovetail

12" x 12"

Oil On Panel

Dowsing  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Dowsing

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Embers  12" x 12"  Oil On Panel

Embers (SOLD)

12" x 12"

Oil On Panel

Feather  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Feather

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Feral Hymn  10" x 8"  Oil On Linen

Feral Hymn 

10" x 8"

Oil On Linen

First Chorus  24" x 28"  Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

First Chorus (SOLD)

24" x 28"

Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

Fragments  38" x 46"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Fragments

38" x 46"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Globe  10" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Globe (SOLD)

10" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mending Landscapes  30" x 24"  Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mending Landscapes

30" x 24"

Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Midnight   22" x 28"  Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

Midnight

22" x 28"

Earth Pigment And Oil On Canvas

Mining Layers  16" x 20"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Charcoal, And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mining Layers

16" x 20"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Charcoal, And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mirroring Landscapes  16" x 20"  Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Mirroring Landscapes (SOLD)

16" x 20"

Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Morning Veins  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Morning Veins (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil, Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Mountain  40" x 40"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mountain (SOLD)

40" x 40"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Mummering  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Mummering

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Nets  20" x 16"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Nets

20" x 16"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Night Fall  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Night Fall

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Opening  20" x 40"  Oil On Canvas

Opening (SOLD)

20" x 40"

Oil On Canvas

Pasture  8" x 12"  Oil On Canvas

Pasture

8" x 12"

Oil On Canvas

Promise  30" x 24"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Promise

30" x 24"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Quilted Field  30" x 40"  Oil And Shellac On Canvas

Quilted Field

30" x 40"

Oil And Shellac On Canvas

Retrograde  12" x 16"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Retrograde

12" x 16"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Reverence  10.5" x 10"  Oil On Panel

Reverence

10.5" x 10.5"

Oil On Panel

Sands of Time  20" x 16"  Oil On Linen

Sands Of Time

20" x 16"

Oil On Linen

Sign  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Sign (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

Storehouse  8" x 10"  Oil On Canvas

Storehouse (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Oil On Canvas

Submergence  10" x 10"  Oil On Canvas

Submergence

10" x 10"

Oil On Canvas

Tapestry  36" x 56"  Earth Pigment, Water, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Tapestry

36" x 56"

Earth Pigment, Water, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Threadwork  8" x 10"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Threadwork (SOLD)

8" x 10"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Uncontained  18" x 22"  Earth Pigment, Marble, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Uncontained (SOLD)

18" x 22"

Earth Pigment, Marble, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Panel

Unraveling  8" x 10"  Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Unraveling

8" x 10"

Earth Pigments, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Valley of Wax  18" x 22"  Earth Pigment, Oil And Shellac On Panel

Valley Of Wax 

18" x 22"

Earth Pigment, Oil And Shellac On Panel

Veil  18" x 24"  Oil And Oil On Linen

Veil

18" x 24"

Oil, Marble and Rabbit Skin Glue On Linen

Wolves  16" x 20"  Oil And Crayon On Panel

Wolves

16" x 20"

Oil And Crayon On Panel

Woven Flight  8" x 10"  Oil On Linen

Woven Flight

8" x 10"

Oil On Linen

“Working on many pieces allows me to move freely in an intuitive state, both in emotion and thought. I am mapping and interweaving complex feelings and memories, harnessing relationships, and investigating the weblike thread that connects them all.”

- Bethann Parker

Bethann Parker - Interwoven - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Retrograde, 12″ x 16″, Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

Gross McCleaf is thrilled to present, Interwoven, Bethann Parker’s second solo exhibition with the gallery. This collection features over 40 paintings that showcase Parker’s signature use of experimental textures and layered narratives. The works speak to Parker’s rich knowledge of American folk and modernist forms, connecting the paintings to spiritually influenced artists such as Hilma af Klint and Charles Burchfield, and strongly resonate with traditional ephemera and handcrafted heirlooms.

The surfaces of Parker’s paintings are rich, dynamic, and complex. She enjoys harvesting materials from her local environment and produces her own charcoal sticks, rabbit and venison glues for sizing, and pigments, from scratch. She also incorporates lesser-known products such as shellac, marble dust and distemper into her works, explaining, “Materials have feelings and behave in certain ways. The fluidity of distemper says something very different than a beefed-up marble oil stroke; natural gesso has a sinking absorbency of weight compared to the delicate ‘topholding’ of linen.” Parker poetically combines these tactile topographies with a broad variety of pictographs, granting endless opportunities to portray multi-faceted narratives.

Bethann Parker - Interwoven - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Valley Of Wax, 18″ x 22″, Earth Pigment, Oil And Shellac On Panel

Parker masterfully weaves together an assortment of disparate symbolism in her works. Angels, trees, animals, windows, earthly elements, and water in all its forms, are stitched together in thoughtful arrangements, and meticulously applied to great effect. Often appearing as the landscape, subtly indicated forms can serve dual functions. In the bistable imagery of Woven Flight, an exaltation of larks swoops into a sparsely indicated, sunny sky while the face of a mammalian creature emerges – perhaps a “sky cat” focused on the cluster of delicious prey.

In many works, symmetrical and typically animated compositions lend themselves to ambiguous interpretation. The ledge waterfall in Mountain can be viewed as a decorated altar, or a stage that is about to welcome a special visitor. The dashed, patterned brushstrokes applied to Opening and Reverence convey potent, kinetic movement, while the abstract ideographs in Clearing, and Retrograde offer tacit messages for the viewer to decrypt. Veil and Valley of Wax hint at microscopic, biological cross sections. Thick strands of paint regularly emulate embroidery on areas of otherwise exposed substrates of linen, canvas, or panel, articulating rain, branches, energetic vibrations, and ether.

While references to early American Modernist and Transcendentalist values, Christian theology, feminism, and the occult are interwoven throughout Parker’s works, her own alchemy remains deeply rooted in her spirituality and surroundings. Her creative process is a reverential and intimate journey, one where she regularly invites her intuition, impulses, convictions, and rebelliousness to guide and spark engagement with her paintings. Parker courts magic and looks to birth, death, and the natural world as fertile ground where the discovery of profound meaning is possible. Her paintings seemingly question what is important, and what remains, at the very core of all existence. It is a space where intentional inquiry, patience, surrender, and resurrection can take form. She offers a glimpse of life-giving forces, eternal energies, and invites us to share in her own visual poetry of consciousness.

Bethann Parker - Interwoven - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Bethann Parker has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions including Art at King Oaks in Newtown, Pennsylvania; Anna Zorina Gallery in a virtual exhibition; and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She has received prestigious awards such as the Kittredge Fund, the Freeman’s Exhibition award, Louis S. Fine Purchase Prize and the Richard C. Von Hess Memorial Travel Scholarship for European travel. Her work is in the collection of the Fellowship of PAFA, the Lee Foundation and the Louise S. Fine Collection in addition to private collections across the mid-Atlantic region. Her works have been featured in the New York Times and Voice of America. Parker is represented by Gross McCleaf Gallery and lives on a homestead in the mountains of northeast Appalachia. Her studio is in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Image Right: Storehouse, 8″ x 10″, Oil On Canvas

Bethann Parker - Interwoven - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Mountain, 40″ x 40″, Earth Pigment, Oil And Rabbit Skin Glue On Canvas

~Exhibition Preview~

May 2 - 23, 2024
Opening Reception: May 4, 1 - 4 pm