"Writing in the Margins" at the Chandler Gallery

Avid readers will feel right at home in “Writing in the Margins.” The upcoming Chandler Gallery show, which features mixed media artists Lola Baltzell, Carol Blackwell, Amy Solomon and Valerie Spain, is just as much of a celebration of how readers consume as it is of text and books themselves.

Baltzell explained that the title came from a song by John Gorka, whom she cited as her favorite singer/songwriter for his “evocative” and often ambiguous lyrics. For that reason, the show is aptly named. There is openness in “Writing in the Margins” and room for the viewer to insert themselves into anything abstract, just as readers might.

Despite visible differences between each piece, Baltzell noted how they share “many commonalities,” particularly in how “the pieces are worked and re-worked in many layers.”

Individually, each piece is strikingly unique, like Solomon’s “Tea Cup and Wallpaper,” which gives the illusion that a teacup is melting into its background. When placed side by side, it’s impossible to ignore what links them. In many cases, wordplay and handwriting are a uniting motif. Baltzell explained that this comes from a “nostalgia for the way that readers interacted with books for generations,” which includes dog-earing and writing notes.

“Writing in the Margins” is on display at the Chandler Gallery from April 29-May 17. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 9 from 6-8pm.