An exhibition of works by Hannelore Baron opens April 30th at Leslie Feely Gallery. In a generous offering from the estate, the exhibition includes a selection of the artist’s collages and box constructions that have not been previously exhibited. Hannelore Baron creates lyrical beauty through symbols, signs, and hidden language that evoke powerful emotion in the viewer. Quoted in 1981 from an interview with the artist:

“Some of my collages celebrate events long past, and others, especially the cloth banners, commemorate feelings of moods. There are those I would hang up on joyful occasions and others on mourning days.”

The abstract compositions of her collages consist of fabric, paper, and ink. The intimate scale of these works can be deceiving because of their commanding presence. Accompanying the collages are box constructions — remarkable sculptural works that can resemble buried relics.

“The string or wire tied around the boxes is sort of a finishing off (of) a memory that can now be put away. It’s as if a feeling or a sentiment has been put into the box and it’s tied up and that’s it, and now we go on to the next one.”

Baron’s use of collage and found objects invites comparison to the work of Kurt Schwitters, Ann Ryan, and early Joseph Beuys, who produced poignant works from the ephemera of everyday life.

Hannelore Baron’s box constructions will also be included in an upcoming group show at the New Museum entitled “The Keeper” [July 9 – October 9, 2016]. “The Keeper, will tell the stories of various individuals through the objects they chose to safeguard, exposing the diverse motivations that inspire to endow both great and mundane things with exceptional significance.”

Hannelore Baron is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago,the Morgan Library, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.