Photo provided Kimberly Rose Free will have and exhibition and book release for her first book, titled “Psyche Relics: An Exhibition Journal,” on March 6.
Local resident and artist Kimberly Rose Free can soon add “author” to her resume, as her first book, titled “Psyche Relics: An Exhibition Journal,” is scheduled to be released March 6.
And a new body of work will soon be featured at a gallery alongside other artists, opening March 6.
Free focuses on drawing as her decided artistic medium, using paper, found and lightweight supports, and reused materials to draw simple landscapes and still life. She said she draws whatever she feels like drawing, from views around town, birds and wildlife to pieces that center around who she is.
“I went to school to be an art teacher, and so I have a degree in art. But I just started to really make my art about nine years ago,” Free said. “I had a lot of pain and was recovering from depression and all kinds of conditions that were going on and just kind of had enough time to pick up my pencil and paintbrush again…”
She has gone on to show her work regionally at both solo and group exhibits, with her upcoming book documenting one of those solo art exhibits held last May at Gallery 411. This exhibit showcased works expressing and documenting her psychiatric treatment over 30 years, according to publisher PathBinder Publishing LLC, such as works drawn with charcoal on pharmacy prescription instructions. The book features photographs of the exhibit taken by local photographer Cole Ankney of Triflix LLC.
As for why she decided to showcase this exhibit in a book, Free said she felt like she wanted it to be a part of art history and as museums and galleries sometimes publish catalogues for exhibits, she began to work with someone to make a catalogue for this exhibit. She said they then decided it would be better to include writings about why she made the works and what had happened to her.
“Not in a depressing kind of way, but in a sort of ‘isn’t this interesting’ kind of way, like journal entries,” Free said.
This book will be available for purchase at the Stillframes Art in Focus Gallery in Columbus as well as retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Her latest exhibition will see Free as a featured artist with new works. Titled “Free Inside,” four of these pieces include what Free said resemble ink drawings on large window panels and blinds she found secondhand. One of these is an outline of her body, covered with pamphlets and papers, showing her head as her childhood house and her body as a cathedral.
“I am excited about these large works. They roll up, I think one of them is 72 inches (tall) and like a window pane size…. So I’m excited to see them hanging in the gallery and it’s amazing, you make this big piece and then you put it on a gallery wall and it tends to shrink, it just looks smaller than it did in the studio,” Free said. ”So I’m just excited to present some work that… it’s what I wanted to make. And I felt so supported by the community and coming out to see what I make. It’s (a)really special thing to have so much support.”
Artists Robert Pulley, Robert Anderson, Bobbi K. Owens, Laurie Wright, Linda Petersen and Cheryl Gregg will also have their works displayed at the gallery. The gallery will hold its opening reception March 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Art in Focus Gallery.
