Marieken Cochius in group exhibition at Holland Tunnel Gallery Newburgh

Sat, Oct 17 - Sun, Nov 22  2020

From October 17 until November 22, work by Marieken Cochius is included in the exhibition Terra/Derma at the Holland Tunnel Newburgh Gallery. Terra/Derma also features the work of Kent Peterson and Romina Gonzales.

The work in Terra/Derma explores the ways in which natural and man-made forces are at work changing the surface of the earth in both subtle and dramatic ways. Cochius’ mixed-media collages Elements of the Motherboard include a variety of natural materials and the paintings from her Currents and Shadows series contain thick layers of oil paint shaped by hand. The cracked surfaces of Peterson’s Strata paintings are made by painting over tar, reminiscing geological structures that have been eroded over time. Gonzales’ series of sculptures titled Finding the Window are life-size masses of formerly molten, pulled glass that record a material response. An important connection between the artists is an awareness of the tension between what is present and what cannot be touched or seen.

Terra/Derma, group exhibition at Holland Tunnel gallery, with work by Marieken Cochius (paintings in background), Romina Gonzales (sculpture on right), and Kent Peterson (not pictured). Image courtesy of Marieken Cochius

Cochius’ work is the result of close observations of organic structures, ecosystems and an interest in patterns in nature. Capturing the movement of light, wind and water to show how natural forms change over time, her work addresses the destruction of the environment as man-made systems collapse and damage the world around them. Peterson is interested in transformation and entropy in relation to geologic and biologic processes. His work feels solid and grounded, yet also ethereal and diaphanous. Representing an event or a moment in time, Gonzales’ dynamic work captures the gestural synchronicity of joint forces, the communion of polarity. Terra/Derma refers to the earth and it’s skin or surface; the place where inside and outside meet.

Terra/Derma is on view from October 17th to November 22nd at Holland Tunnel Gallery, 46 Chambers St, Newburgh, NY 12550. Gallery Hours Sat/Sun: 1-5pm and by appointment. Masks required and social distancing observed.

About Marieken Cochius

Marieken Cochius is a Dutch-born artist whose work is meditative and intuitive and often explores growth forms, movement of light and wind, root systems, and animal architecture. She is drawn to remote places where she studies nature and makes art inspired by it. Her work encompasses drawing, painting and sculpture. In 2017 Cochius completed a public sculpture commission for the Village of Wappingers Falls, NY with a grant from the Hudson River Foundation. She is a 2020 recipient of a Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA), Emergency Grants COVID-19 Fund grant, and the Marjorie Curit award winner for Contemporary and Non Traditional art.Cochius’ work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and institutions in places ranging from New York City, NY, Berkeley, CA, Austin, TX, and Los Angeles, CA, to Japan, Germany and the Netherlands. She has participated in residencies including the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT. Cochius participated in recent group exhibitions at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery at UConn Avery Point, CT; the Attleboro Museum, MA; Foundry Art Centre, St Charles, MO; Woodstock Artist Association and Museum, Woodstock, NY; Roxbury Arts Center, NY; The Ely Center, New Haven, CT; Ann Street Gallery, Newburgh, NY; Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, NY and more. Her work was recently featured in the publications Willard and Maple Magazine (cover), Sun Spot Journal (cover), and in Superstition Review, High Shelf Press, Tule Review 2020, Cold Mountain Review, Mud Season Review, Art for a New Earth, FLAR, DeLuge Journal, Alluvian Environmental Journal, and Raw Art Review. Cochius studied photography at the Art Academy St Joost in Breda, the Netherlands. She currently lives in the Hudson Valley, New York.