Exhibition Feature: “KALCiUM FORTiFiED” at The Bell Slip in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
I recently had the great honor of seeing my friend Kelsey Strauch’s (aka Kalcium Fortified) second solo exhibition of the year! Strauch’s multidisciplinary background naturally gave way to her continual fusing of two strains of creative energy: the visual and performing arts. Her pursuit of a BFA in Painting at the University of Oregon coincided with her discovery of circus art and juggling, which inevitably segued into a successful career in theater, film, and television (including The Met Opera’s “Akhnaten” by composer Philip Glass).
The physical expressiveness of performance has been an important facet of Strauch’s acrylic paintings. These semi-abstract/semi-figurative works feature grayish skeletal forms (what she affectionately calls her “bone babies”) that glide in purplish-blue-pink realms. Though bone-like in form, these are imaginative shapes that pulse, slide, swing, and twirl - much like that of a dance or acrobatic performance.
Several of Strauch’s larger paintings are part of her Convergence Project in which she partnered with renowned soap opera actress & artist Judith Barcroft (b. 1942). Having struck a friendship with the actress, Barcroft gifted several artworks she created in the 1990s to Strauch and insisted that she use them as new material for her paintings. Resultantly, Strauch painted over Barcroft’s works, but did so in a way where visible traces of Barcroft’s mixed media remain to form a dialogue between both artists who each come from different generations (photos were taken of the Barcroft works prior to change).
Originally from Montana, Strauch has proudly called New York her home for over a decade. In addition to these creative projects, Strauch is also the founder of the Brooklyn-based street art collective Gallery BQE (of which I am a proud member)!
Please give her a follow on social media (@kalciumfortified on Instagram) to see more of her impressive art!
