SCRANTON — The latest exhibit of Factoryville artist Nikki Moser, set to open with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 at the AFA Gallery, mixes the symbolism and color system of Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs with graphic design renderings showing the mechanics of the natural gas industry.
“I think it’s important for me, as an artist, to use my voice to talk about what’s happening in my contemporary world,” she said. “I think it’s important for me, as an artist, to make people think about what they are looking at.”
But she doesn’t discredit beauty.
She simply uses the beauty in her work to “lure” the viewer in to understand what it’s about – a task which could be described as a puzzle in this case. Each piece, hand-painted with outdoor oil-based paints on aluminum sign blanks, includes a clue, like the key on a map, to understanding its meaning.
“I was intrigued by the notion of how hex signs traditionally speak to the idea of protection and abundance,” she said, explaining the origin of the project. “And whether you are for or against the development of the Marcellus Shale, you certainly have to recognize that there is not only an abundance of gas and an abundance of money to be made from the gas, and yet there is this notion of the protection. …And furthermore, this idea of ‘Are we being protected by the governmental entities that are in place?’
“So, it’s this idea of the duality of protection and abundance.”
Along with Moser’s “Marcellus Shale Hex Signs: A Modern Pastiche,” the gallery will also display a collection of artwork by Ronald Morris, of Carbondale. His exhibit will include a variety of figurines constructed from aluminum foil.
The exhibits are open from 12 to 5 p.m. Feb. 4 through 26. For more information, email artistsforartgallery@gmail.com or call 570-969-1040.
