More Than One
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…
to comfort all who mourn…
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1-3
Paradox. That word describes the work in More than One aptly, as the various pieces wrestle through the reality of grief, the surprise of joy, and the unshakable hope that both surrenders itself and clings on in faith.
Allena Marie Brazier’s work can be challenging at first; the folds, knots, and elemental nature of her abstract forms seem to elude easy reading. They call us into mystery, into a space where pain and peace, joy and mourning, love and loss coexist. Her burlap works draw us toward Biblical images of lament or even repentance; weeping prophets draped in burlap spring to mind. They roil, wrestle, even dance across the wall, sometimes weighted, sometimes floating free. Molded and shaped into complex beings, they hint at our own experiences of struggle, pain, even loss in this world. And, they guide with a silent beauty, reminding us that the Prince of Peace gives us His shalom.
The ink works pick up that silent beauty; gentle brush strokes and warm colors float into vision. They evoke the chaos of creation in the moment before God spoke; reminding us that even now God can speak into our chaos and make something good come from it, that He can draw beauty out of the darkest places.
We see that echoed in the photographs. They seem to call out the promise in Isaiah 61, that God will give a crown of beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. The photographs of street lights come from around the artist’s home, and laid in front of them charcoal ashes rest delicately, almost waiting for an exhale to blow them away. In simple materials, the artist draws us further into the mystery of surrender and faith; to the paradox of following the light where sometimes things get burned away. But, in that loss comes new life, a new chance for beauty, for victory, for hope.
The wonder of abstraction finds its way into our vision, speaking to us; More than One brings us close to the paradox of life, and makes space for us to explore the beauty and hope present in the midst of grief. The multiplicity of the form, and the repeating titles also hint at another reality; that we are not alone. More than One reminds us that there is hope found in the beauty and love of Christ and in sitting with one another, beholding the mystery of such love and peace in the face of chaos.
Curated by Megan Kenyon and Allena Marie Brazier, More Than One featured work by Allena Marie Brazier, and ran from December 3, 2023 - February 4, 2024
ARTIST STATEMENT
More than One is an art exhibition inspired by scripture and rooted in personal experiences. Three groups of work are on display: Burlap Series, Ink Paintings, and Photography Installation. Each focuses on grief, surrendering, growth, acceptance, and faith.
Burlap Series
Pillars of the Past - The hardship of grief and letting go; the harsh reality of looking back and learning from the past to move forward; a warning that looking in the past is to become hardened like cement and unable to move forward. Shaping and Molding - bare burlap the emotions and identity of life, good and bad; terracotta pigment- represents clay and earthenware always moving, shifting, and changing, molded by faith and belief. Embrace - being still, quiet, resting in newfound peace from pain. Pruned - is the removal of things that are no longer of service, losing parts of what was thought to be true, feeling a void, an emptiness, and stagnation, but the pruning is for new life and growth. Sorrow - putting grief on display. (bible references Genesis 19:26; Philippians 3:12-14)
Ink Paintings
Hovering Over | in my sleep
(bible references Genesis 1:2, Mark 4:35-40)
Photography Installation
Light - This work captures the street light in my neighborhood - poetically, my north star of home purposefully placed where the roots of my beliefs began. Charcoal ash represents life, evidence of growth, and a poetic take on embracing and being consumed by the Light.
Artist Bio
Allena Marie Brazier is an artist, curator, and author from East St. Louis, Illinois. She earned a BFA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) and an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
While pursuing her MFA, she was the inaugural Curator in Residence for Sam Fox-Lewis Collaborative at TechArtista in University City, MO. She was honored and humbled to be nominated by her peers at Washington University Sam Fox School as the Graduate Commencement speaker for her graduating class.
Allena is a guest Curator at Maryville University in St.Louis, Missouri. She is also the consultant and collaborator with Middle Waters Field School, an organization that focuses on the sociocultural aspects of the Mississippi River and surrounding communities.
While continuing her creative practice, Allena is a budding author. She has published an online paper titled "Land|Lineage" and recently published her first book, "God's Harvest Bible Study." Allena continues her book-writing career centered on faith, creativity, and wellness.
The Work:
The Exhibition:
