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Diane Rosenblum came of age as an artist in San Francisco. She is thrilled to return to Showcase and to debut her DNA Family Portraits in the bedroom level hallway. This immersive group of paintings connects to her origin and to her roots as a University High School student. To walk down the bedroom corridor is to encounter a group of paintings with a novel approach to the family portrait. The luminescent panels adorning the walls explore how we come to be who we are. Each panel portrays Diane's relationship to a family member on a single chromosome. Chromosome-by-chromosome, these subtly colored paintings offer a nuanced mapping of where Diane's DNA overlaps with her family members. The bedroom corridor’s recurring elements bring unity, calm, and an embracing quality of family connection to the space. -
INSTALLATION
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WORDS
Yours was clearly the artistic high point of the whole house...you made that upstairs light filled hall , although a difficult space, a cool and meditative corridor...You have blended the personal ( DNA ) with a refined subtle minimalist palette that is thought provoking -- like having Barnet Newman doing someone’s “portrait" in stripes .
Robert Flynn Johnson, Curator Emeritus, San Francsico Museums
Family Portraits in DNA by Diane Rosenblum. This bedroom corridor art is not only soothing and engaging, it’s surely the most innovative and original grouping of artwork ever created — each panel represents a chromosome and shows how Rosenblum’s DNA overlaps with her family members. The linear display on walls creates an immersive experience, and is akin to “walking into a painting.” I’m still moved by it.
Lynette Majer, The Voice of San Francisco
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FOR COLLECTORS AND DESIGNERS
INSPIRATION
I installed my DNA paintings in the upper bedroom hallway because it is a domestic space that brings me back to my childhood in a house near Showcase. These intensely personal paintings show why I am who I am -- part my mother, part my father, and part my sister. The pencil notations and the free-cut canvas panels impart a sense of discovery into the work. The installation's linear structure and regularity show the science and process behind investigations into my ancestry.
My influences include the data visualization work of Edward Tufte and artists Donald Judd, Robert Irwin, and Agnes Martin. Curator Emeritus at the SF Fine Arts Museum Robert Flynn Johnson said "These paintings are a cross between Barnett Newman and the Mayo Clinic."
HIGHLIGHTS
Site Specific
I created these paintings specifically for this space. The painting's width varies from wall to wall from 19 to 27 inches. The grey canvas between each piece was painted and folded employing contemporary bookbinding techniques.This arrangement allows viewers to have the experience of walking into a painting.
Structure/Looseness
I thought about how to ride the line between the looseness of the canvas panels and the industrial regularity of cut aluminum bars and evenly spaced nails. It is very important to me in this kind of work that I show the evidence of my hand and communicate the order and structure we put on top of the world.
Memory and Mood
What do you experience as you walk through this space? Does it evoke memories? Does standing amongst these paintings shift your mood?
COMPONENTS
The Nora Track Lighting System
When seeing art, we usually think about the art without considering how it’s illuminated. The Nora track lighting system designed by Rob Garcia of MAR Lighting lends this installation the experience of encountering the work as one would in a museum. The Nora track system eliminates unevenness of the bright and dark spaces along the corridor, allowing me to emphasize particular paintings in a fashion that fits well with this domestic space.
Background Wall Color
The inspiration for the green-grey paint I used as a background to the installation was a visit to Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence. This neutral color, the canvas behind the canvas, brings forward the paintings in their best light. For viewers who may be interested, this particular paint is the Benjamin Moore color Wall Street in an eggshell finish.
SALES AND COMMISSIONS
DNA Paintings
The paintings on the walls are for sale. The arrangements defined by each wall make compelling sets that can be installed as a group.
Under 24 inches in width $6000 each
24 to 30 inches in width $8000 each
Height is 90 inches
DNA Painting Commissions
Diane will work with you to make paintings that reflect your ancestry, your DNA and your family relationships. Diane is happy to tailor color, size, presentation and finishings to your space.
From $7500
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TEAM
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SHELLEY ANIXTER
Shelley Anixter, a practicing architect and artist, approaches exhibition design with imagination and sensitivity to space, form and light. Through a rigorous aesthetic process Shelley orchestrated the design of Diane's 'Family Portraits In DNA' here at Showcase. Shelley is passionate about our planet. She is currently working on a series of watercolor paintings illustrating the wondrous species with whom we share the Earth.
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BIANCA CATALAN
Bianca Catalan is a muralist at Everett Middle School. She worked as a community arts activist during her time as the Director of Community Engagement at San Francisco University High School. She is lead singer of the quartet Araya which specializes in folkloric and traditional music from Latin America.
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DONNA PRITCHARD
Donna Pritchard, a fine art consultant, is delighted to be representing Diane's work at Showcase. After a decade working at the Friesen Gallery, she created a private practice working with collectors to place and present beautiful art in their homes and businesses. Donna is an avid poet who enjoys open mic nights and improv theater. She also enjoys conscious dance, hiking & camping. Donna lives in Sun Valley, Idaho.
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