Thin Space artists, Leslie Kell, Rebecca Bennett, Elena Lipkowski. Credit: Iris Bartov 

By Susan Sternberg 

Thin Space: Transcending the Ordinary opened at JGallery on Tuesday, January 24 from 7-9:00 p.m. with a reception and artists talks showing slides and video of their work. The evening concluded with a lively question and answer session between the artists and the attendees. 

Thin Space, on view at the Dell JCC until April 14, 2023, highlights the work of three Austin-based artists, Rebecca Bennett, Leslie Kell and Elena Lipkowski. Each of them artfully explores the concept of thin space, a metaphysical term, that describes the awareness of places and moments that can move us toward something larger than ourselves. Their work incorporates a variety of techniques and mixed media including graphic design, photography, layered abstractions and visual memories. 

Rebecca Bennett says that her process is one in which the artist and paint are partners negotiating the surface of the canvas as if the paint had animated qualities. She uses light and dark, space and scale, encouraging the viewer to step into the work to react and reflect. 

Leslie Kell emphasizes that her recurring themes of water, light and reflection underscore the ever-shifting currents of our realities and opens up the possibility that things are not always as they seem. The works are meant to stir a sense of something familiar, perhaps a place one might not quite recall but somehow, has been waiting to visit. 

Elena Lipkowski speaks about simplifying and burnishing her photographic images until only the most essential aspects remain. Elena adds layers back into the composition; some are digital while others are based upon artisanal traditions. Lipkowski says each work is a recreation of the memory of place and time. 

JGallery has a Thin Space show catalog available that includes images of the art, sorted by artist, with titles, sizes, prices and links for purchasing the art. For those who were unable to attend the show in person or would like another look at the art online, the link to access the information is here.