Looking for something new this summer? So were we! Luckily, we found jeweler Claire Webb and book artist Mary Beth Woiccak—two wholly original women in the Houston arts scene who’ve created work never before seen in the Asher Gallery. Please join us for a reception/preview on Thursday, August 29th, and show on Saturday, August 31st, to meet with the artists and learn more about their work. 
Interested in the translation of form between states of matter and materials, Claire Webb is “drawn to processes that allow a significant level of control, but also produce intuitive, random, or accidental elements.” Her highly tactile and explorative aesthetics are a treat for the mind and eye. Look for the subtle humor that informs much of Claire’s jewelry, which often invokes feelings of magic or surprise.
Mary Beth Woiccak is also interested in unveiling ideas with her gorgeous artist books. In these works, the focus is not on words as narrative but as suggestion. Inspired by her recent travels in Australia, China and the American Southwest, Mary Beth subtly incorporates her experiences through fibers to communicate with the viewer. As she explains, “not only is a word a beautiful collection of lines, but it is also the residue of personal history. The words in my work, once legible, are now ambiguous and not confined to my story alone.”
Above, from left to right: Claire Webb, “Arrival.” Gold leaf, hot glue, glitter and figurines. Scroll book by Mary Beth Woiccak. Thread and drop cloth. Photos courtesy the artists.
