701 Center for Contemporary Art presents: Yvette L. Cummings: Uncovered

Exhibition: July 12 – August 26, 2018 

Artist’s Reception: Thursday, July 12, 7-9 p.m. 

Reception Admission: Members, free; non-members, $5 suggested donation Contemporary Art Inspires Conversation. Conversation Inspires Change.  

701 Center for Contemporary Art’s exhibition, Uncovered, is certainly a stimulus for  conversation, and hopefully, change. Uncovered, opens on July 12 with an Artist’s Reception  from 7 – 9 p.m., and runs through August 26, 2018. 701 CCA provides the time and place for  conversations and reflection as viewers ponder the original paintings and hand cut paper  collages of their 701 CCA Prize 2016 winner, Yvette L. Cummings — images that transition  between her memories of child abuse, the dynamics of motherhood, as well as “the  complicated path of youth, beauty and femininity.”  

The 701 CCA Prize, organized by 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, S.C., is an art  competition and exhibition for young professional South Carolina artists. The project’s  purpose is to identify and recognize artists 40 years and younger whose work is exemplary in  its originality, shows awareness of artistic developments and is of high artistic merit. As the  701 CCA Prize 2016 winner, Cummings received a six-week paid residency and solo  exhibition at 701 CCA. This exhibition will feature work created during her residency, which  she completed in May of 2018. 

Vibrant colors transmute into images that were powered by Cummings’ estimation that “1- in-4 girls and 1-in-6 boys are sexually assaulted as children, so, what I am referencing in the  work resonates with a lot of people, whether they have had experiences of abuse,  harassment or objectification public.” Her process includes annexing children book  illustrations, “presenting them in a way that has you bring your adult experiences to innocent  play.” 

“The goal of the work,” says Cummings, “is to create a non-confrontational presentation of  tough, current and ongoing subject matter that makes viewers aware of their discomfort,” as  they possibly relate to similar or shared experiences. 

Her technique and medium are a dedication to discernment. “I use pattern as a way to  visually flatten the space, often referring to memory,” says Cummings. “When multiple  patterns are layered in a piece, a camouflaging occurs that mimics the way we live our lives  in the open, but we often cannot see through the layers to the traumas.” The artist uses  damask and floral patterns to flatten the spatial aspects of the work. These very traditional,  elegant patterns create a visual abstraction and represent the confusion that occurs over  time and space.

The work is evolutionary as she finds ways to give broader meaning and sensitivity to her  own experiences and the experiences of so many others. “As this body of work builds over  time,” she says, “I have expanded beyond my experiences of trauma and am becoming more  focused on how women (in particular) are objectified, shamed and abused from an early  age.” 

701 CCA is a non-profit visual arts center that promotes understanding, appreciation and  enjoyment of contemporary art, the creative process and the role of art and artists in the  community. The center also encourages interaction between visual and other art forms. 701  CCA is located at 701 Whaley Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201. During exhibitions,  hours are Wed-Sat 11–5; Sun 1-5. For more information, visit www.701cca.org.  

For further inquiries or high resolution images, contact [email protected] or call (803)  319-9949. Please check the 701 CCA website for additional information on the exhibition and  associated events. 

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ABOUT THE ARTIST: Yvette L. Cummings, MFA, University of Cincinnati’s School of Design,  Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP) is Assistant Professor of Painting/Drawing at Coastal  Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, and recipient of the 701 CCA Prize 2016 for  South Carolina artists under 40. Additional awards include: Recipient of the Wolfstein Travel  Fellowship to Spain, and while an instructor with the University of South Carolina’s  Department of Art instructor, the 2011 Stephen J. Dalton Teacher of the year. A past Director  of the 840 Gallery, and intern at the Contemporary Art Center of Cincinnati, Cummings has  exhibited in multiple group and solo exhibitions throughout the South and Midwest. Her work  can be found in both public and private collections, and has been featured in the 701 Center  for Contemporary Art 2015 South Carolina Biennial in Columbia, SC, as well as Contemporary  South at Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC 

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