Betsy Chaffin\u2019s \u201cSlip Sliding\u201d colorfully explores the moving of abstracted shapes as they mingle with figurative elements. As old ideas and concerns struggle to find new expressions, the paintings harbor a sense of hope. A cohesive collection of playful acrylic and mixed media paintings invite the viewer to question where they are in the world today.<\/p>\n
\u201cSlip Sliding\u201d opens at the Art Base in Basalt on Friday, with a reception running from 5 to 7 p.m. and including an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. It runs through Aug. 2.<\/p>\n
The title of the show comes from the Paul Simon song, \u201cSlip Sliding Away\u201d and was inspired by the lyric: \u201cThe more you\u2019re near your destination, the more you slip slide away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that it is a metaphor for life\u2019s uncertainty \u2014 for the world we live in \u2014 that can be applied to art as well,\u201d Chaffin, a part-time Snowmass Villager, said. \u201cMy drawings inform the work. I draw from nature, memory, other art and my photography. The paintings are metaphors for past experience and memory. Certainly color plays a major role \u2014 I think it is one of the first things that people respond to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chaffin works in a variety of forms including painting, collage, photography and sculpture. She lives near Beaufort, South Carolina, and Snowmass Village. Her work is included in private collections throughout the U.S. Chaffin has twice been invited to be a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome.<\/p>\n
The philosophy and basis for her work comes from participating in workshops at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, conducted by leading artists and art educators like Holly Hughes, Roy Dowell, Jane Hammond and James Surls.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom being Board chair and a part of Anderson Ranch\u2019s growth throughout the \u201980s \u2014 to educational workshop experiences \u2014 it has been a privilege, an honor, to be a part of the Ranch,\u201d Chaffin said. \u201cNot only has it provided me with the equivalent of an MFA, it is where I have formed some of my closest life friendships.\u201d<\/p>\n