Sozo Fitness Gallery Art - March 2021
Please join us in congratulating this month's featured artist in the "Sozo Fitness Gallery", Kimberly Case, with her wonderful photography.
About the Artwork
Title: "The Bather"
Size: 20x20
Media: Photography
Price: $NFS
Artist Statement
I am visual artist, focusing on fine art portrait photography. Hallmarks of my work are richness and whimsy. My photographs are often mistaken at first for paintings, due to their tones and aura. I incorporate sometimes humble, sometimes fantastical themes, wardrobe and props.
Primarily a portrait (and self-portrait) artist, in my works I seek to capture a moment in time, revealing an intimate aspect of the subject. I want people to feel something familiar when they see my portraits.
I have a general background in the arts from my emphasis in my high school education. Beginning with a foundation of basic studio lighting, camera settings and classic posing, I then began on a path towards the more personalized images I find myself creating now.
The colors and lighting of classical painters Vermeer, Caravaggio and Rembrandt fill my eyes. In my art, I portray themes of quiet strength. The images have a peaceful calmness to them. I love the rich textures of velvet and linen. I seek out clothing, housewares and tools that are old, worn and real. Warmth and richness permeate my works; so do shadows created by a strong and directional source of light.
A recent series I created is my Homespun series, showing children and young adults in rustic and wholesome tableaux. Captured in mundane tasks, the subjects are graced with strength and dignity.
Another series I created during the COVID-19 pandemic is In The Time of COVID. Composed of self-portraits and still-life art, each piece focuses on aspects of life during the pandemic such as isolation, altering of routines, search for information, tangible boredom, signals of hope, and desire for normalcy.
Artist Bio
Kimberly Case
Kimberly Case is a visual artist focusing on fine art portrait photography.
Her work in many media has been exhibited around the Greater Columbia area, including at the SC State Fair where in 2018 her portrait creation Girl with Sword won Best of Show in the professional category In 2019 The Laborer won the blue ribbon for photography, while Girl with Wheat won a merit award for photography.
Her first solo art exhibition was held at Ramco Framing and Design in the summer of 2019, and showcased over 70 fine art portraits and still life photographs. In the Fall of 2019, she was part of a multi-artist show “Collections” at Rob Shaw Gallery on State Street, Cayce, SC.
Recently, works by Kimberly have been exhibited at the Spartanburg Fringe Festival (2019), and the 701 Center for Contemporary Art’s “Columbia Open Studios City Hall Exhibition” (2020).
In September 2020, her two entries into the Advanced Fine Art category were selected as finalists in the Augusta Photo Festival: A Pause Before Resuming and The Bell. Honorable Mention was awarded for The Bell. In December 2020, her two entries were juried into the Crooked Creek Art League's “Still Hopes Exhibition”: Airborne was awarded the People's Choice ribbon and High Tea was awarded First Place for Photography.
Also, in 2020, her series In the Time of COVID was selected for display at The Koger Center for the Arts, the winner of their “1593 Project” call for art (TBD – Spring 2021).
In Spring 2021, her studio will be among the workspaces featured on the 701 Center for Contemporary Art “Open Studios” art tour (2021).
Kimberly's art pieces are in private collections across the midlands.
Incorporating sometimes fantastical themes, wardrobe and props, her photographs are often mistaken at first for oil paintings, due to their tones and aura. Hallmarks of her work are richness and whimsy. “For me, storytelling is key; it’s what makes the art relevant. I seek to transport the viewer to another place and time. In my art, I portray themes of quiet strength. The images have a peaceful calmness to them.”
Kimberly is a photographer with Studio 3P, LLC in Irmo, SC.
CCAL Gallery Host:
Sozo Family Fitness
The gallery is located in the front lobby at Sozo Fitness at 510 Columbia Avenue. It hosts a piece of art by one of Crooked Creek Art League's artists on a monthly rotation.
For more on the gallery, click HERE.
