Today we’d like to introduce you to Orna Feinstein.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born and raised in Jerusalem, and in 1984, I moved to Houston. I always loved nature and art, so at age 16 when I was in high school, I majored in botany, and signed up for private art classes in the afternoon. I studied Chemistry at the Hebrew University, and after two years, I realized I would rather spend my life in a studio than in a lab.
After the move to Houston, I studied art and got my diploma in printmaking from the Glassell school of art of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. My passion for printmaking led me to experimentation and discoveries that moved my work beyond paper. My prints became more dimensional. I went back to school and received my BFA in sculpture from the University in Houston, Suma cum Laude. My art blurs the boundaries between 2D and 3D as well as prints and sculpture.
Please tell us about your art.
For the past 21 years, my artistic focus has been all about the geometric and organic in tree trunks. The journey began with hundreds of drawings. In 1999, I took printmaking classes. I was so passionate about the process that I spent the majority of my time in the print shop, and created thousands of unique prints. The process that I like the most is the monoprint. It yields one unique print. The process of layering inks and images fascinates me and makes every print a unique experience with the different end result. I work on numerous series at the same time, and number them chronologically. As the work evolves, new series is born.
Over the years, I printed on papers, fabric, and plastics. The works became more dimensional, and grew in size as well. The prints became sculptures, and the prints on plexiglass grew to room size installations.
In addition to the print works, I like to experiment with other materials and ideas and stay open to what’s around me. So, for example, in September 2008, I was scheduled to have an exhibition at the Printing Museum in Houston. On that month, Hurricane Ike hit Houston and therefore, the opening reception was postponed. When the museum
curator at the time, Amanda Stevenson, showed me more than 1,200 printed invitations that would have to be thrown into the recycling bin, I asked her if I could have them with the intent of creating something with them for the opening.
The expression, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” is something I identify with, and so, that’s exactly what I did. I took the cards home and rolled and taped them in various diameters. At that time, I was still a student at the University of Houston, and I had just been handed the installation room to use at my discretion. The end result was a floor installation: a large organic shape that functions on both the visual and the cellular level in organic matter. This installation was reconstructed for the opening reception of my exhibition at the Printing Museum as well as the student show at the Blaffer gallery at UH.
When people look at my art, I want them to enjoy it visually, and challenge themselves to analyze it logically. Although my work is about trees, there isn’t one tree to be found. The images are a blend of reality with imagination, macro and micro elements of nature as seen with the naked eye, and also as seen under the microscope.
Currently, I am working on two new series incorporating concrete, papers and laser cut plexiglass.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Dream your life, live your dream.
Follow your passion.
Learn how to handle rejection, as you will encounter a lot of it through your journey.
Practice every day, and never give up.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have shown my art extensively in numerous solo exhibitions around the country, and in fact, my first solo exhibition in a commercial gallery was in Hannover, Germany. My art was included in many group and juried exhibitions and won me several awards.
This year, I am pleased to introduce my new book Treetopia. The book documents selected artworks from the past 21 years, beginning from my exclusive focus on the organic and geometric patterns in tree trunks. The book also includes a comprehensive and insightful essay by Dena M. Woodall, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawing at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The essay delves into the artists’ concepts, processes, and the evolution of the work. The book is available for purchase on my website.
The galleries that represent me are:
Anya Tish Gallery, Houston, Texas
CamibaArt Gallery, Austin, Texas
Cinnabar art Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
Carneal Simmons, Dallas, Texas
James Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
More art and info is on my website, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ornafeinstein.com
- Phone: 7136662041
- Email: orna@ornafeinstein.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ornafeinstein/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/orna.feinstein.9 - Other: https://www.linkedin.
com/in/orna-feinstein- 73037117/
Image Credit:
Rick Wells, Donna Heaton
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