The works in Geometricity 2.0 by Ruth Tabancay spin the hexagonal form into various configurations and renders them in a range of materials that correlate to the concepts of the finished work. For Sweet, over 3000 cast sugar tiles are configured to represent the molecular structures of the disaccharide and monosaccharide that are the components of cast sugar. The physical properties of sugar are further explored in Melt, a series of small burnt sugar sculptures which morph over time. In Hive, silk hexagons are stitched together and coated with beeswax to create honeycomb fragments causing one to ponder the stuff of silkworms and honeybees simultaneously. The addition of pentagons and heptagons create convex and concave variations in the otherwise 2-dimensional Euclidean plane. Garden Transformed is assembled from painted tea bags hand-stitched into patterns defined by the hexagonal grid.
Tabancay is driven here by both a childlike fascination with geometry and an educated intellectual curiosity about microbiology both of which are beautifully underlined by the meditative practice of working in multiples (her works are often composed of hundreds or thousands of units) as well as the conceptually inspired choices of media.
Ruth Tabancay’s passion for science led her to study microbiology in college and after a stint as a hospital laboratory technologist she went on to medical school. After 11 years in private practice she left medicine to study art. She is a graduate of University of California Berkeley; University of California San Francisco; and California College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited regionally at Southern Exposure, Bedford Gallery and Richmond Art Center and in venues all over the country. Her work is in the collection of the Oakland Museum.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Reception: Saturday, August 15, 4-6 pm with Artist Talk at 4.30
Third Thursdays on 25th Street: August 20, 6-8pm
Another Third Thursday on 25th Street: September 17, 6-8pm
Art Murmur First Friday: September 4, 6-9pm