FEATURE – Cornelius artist
CAPTURING THE GLOW Artist’s work explores the nature and light around her Lake Norman home by Vanessa Infanzon
Above, indoor installation “Decomposers Glow” at the Museum of York County (photo courtesy Ben Premeaux). Right, Connelly in her Lake Norman studio (photo courtesy Autumn Payne).
Multidisciplinary artist Meredith Connelly sketches a mushroom on a 100-year-old wood table in her studio, a small shed within walking distance of her home in Cornelius. When the weather cooperates, Connelly opens the door, relying on additional natural light from the windows.
nature trails in Connelly’s neighborhood or Jetton Park provide the inspiration she needs.
“It’s surrounded by trees,” she says. “I can have peeks of nature, which inspire me. It’s a very quiet special space to me.”
“I’m even inspired by that horrible time of the year where everything is covered by pollen,” Connelly says. “It’s one of my most favorite times on the lake because it creates these almost biomorphic patterns, and you see just this field of yellow. It’s moving and beautiful.”
Connelly lives on Lake Norman with her two youngest daughters and husband, Mike Zak. Her 20-year-old daughter lives in Charlotte. Connelly studied studio art at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, focusing on sculpture. Light is central to Connelly’s designs as she brings science, nature and technology together to create grand-scale installations.
After a walk, Connelly returns with photographs, drawings and found items – all hold potential for a future project. Branches, rocks, pinecones, pieces of wasps’ nests and cicada exoskeletons cover every corner and windowsill. Connelly never knows what might captivate her. When she finds something visually interesting, she wonders if she could scale it and make it glow.
“Light is interesting symbolically,” she says. “We’re drawn to it. Watch people around a campfire or walk outside and feel the sun on your face.” When it’s time to reset or think about things differently,
Whether it’s a mushroom or wildflower, Connelly learns everything about the item. She investigates how it interacts with the ecosystem and environment and what folklore might be associated with it.
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LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | SEPTEMBER 2024