Paintings (and performance) by Kathryn Temple

Local oil painter, Kathryn Temple flexes her thespian muscles this month in the theatrical production of Ruth at NC Stage Company in downtown Asheville. Her performance deserves the highest accolades, and the play is captivating. Written by John Crutchfield, the play's artistry is what resonated with me most -- from it's minimal stage design and music, to it's original verse and choreography. You can read a more in-depth review of the play written by Allie Marshall for the Mountain Xpress here: http://www.mountainx.com/theatre/article/review_of_iruth_i_at_nc_stage

I'm not here to talk about the play so much as to call attention to the paintings created by Temple that hang in the lobby of the theater. Using a classical realist approach, her work is contemplative with nuanced subject matter and a restrained color palette. White blank sheets of paper hang by wooden laundry clips and blow in the wind in two of the paintings. In another, Temple employs trompe l'oeil to convey letters on paper hanging by thread in a box. The letters spell out a palindrome: "forever of forever of forever of."

The exhibit is concise and powerful. Visit NC Stage Company this month to see Temple's paintings in person.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Temple for an article published in Verve Magazine. http://www.vervemag.com/july-2010/2010/6/28/ruth-or-consequences.html

See more of Temple's work at kathryntemple.com