New Show "Transparent" at Gallery House

“TRANSPARENT” is a new, thought-provoking exhibit of paintings and glass art by Debbie Bakker and Rose Hagan, at Gallery House, 320 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA (650-326-1668) from March 5th through 30th, 2019. A reception for the artists will take place on Saturday, March 9th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  The public is invited and is free.

“Transparency is not the same as looking straight through: It's not just a physical idea; it's also an intellectual one.” -- Helmut Jahn. 

This exhibit brilliantly encompasses all the facets of transparency. It refers to materials (allowing light to pass through), subject matter (obvious, easy to perceive), and emotions (revealing your inner thoughts and emotions). Working primarily in transparent media (watercolor and glass), Debbie Bakker and Rose Hagan share their worldviews, from the ugliness of politics to the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

Debbie Bakker is a watercolor artist inspired by nature and history.  Her realistic watercolor paintings look at the world in close-up detail - from transparent water drops on succulents, immediate and ephemeral, to crumbling antique history books, carrying the weight of change.

Rose Hagan is a glass artist who finds inspiration all around her, from the beauty of a simple flower to the soothing geometry of terraced rice paddies in Bhutan, from the wonder of the undersea world to the distressing nature of politics. She has often been told she has no “poker face” and that her emotions are evident.  Her artwork shares that quality, reflecting the good and bad she sees in the world and trying to make sense of it in an open and honest manner.