An abstract painting by Indianapolis artist Kristen Kloss, who will be showing her work along with another artist, Barbara Thomas, in a two-person abstract show throughout March at the Southside Art League Off Broadway Gallery in Greenwood.
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Joy can be found in the abstract.
Bold and subtle colors blend together to open up the imagination. Ambiguous shapes and unknown forms are open to interpretation.
For artists Barbara Thomas and Kristen Kloss, the approach to creating abstract art is liberating.
“It’s creative. Not that my other paintings aren’t creative, but realism isn’t that creative; you’re doing what is already existing. You have the hit all those details,” Thomas said. “This gives us freedom to express.”
Kloss and Thomas will be sharing the spotlight throughout the month of March, teaming up for a two-artist show at the Southside Art League Off Broadway Gallery in Greenwood. Among their many works, they’ve chosen a selection of unique abstract work that, while sharing a genre, are also wildly different approaches to the artform.
The opportunity has been invigorating, and they hope that resonates with people who come to the exhibition.
“I hope it moves them in the way that we get moved to do it,” Kloss said. “I say a prayer beforehand, and whatever comes out, comes out. I like it to be an expression of the creativity that is a gift from God.”
Both Kloss and Thomas have taken varying paths to reaching this shared show.
Thomas has been drawn to art since she was a child, painting and being creative in a variety of media throughout her school years. She attended Illinois Wesleyan University to major in fine art, then pursued a career in interior design. By the early 2000s, she returned to painting, first with oil paints before discovering watercolors after taking a class with Bev Mathis at the Southside Art League.
Her work, including landscapes, animals, still-lifes and most of all portraits, was focused on realism. But as Thomas was introduced to abstract painting, she found a freedom she’d never known before.
“I was such a realist with my paintings that it took me so much time to do a painting. It could be nerve-wracking, because I do a lot of commissions, and you have to make it look just like the person,” she said. ”Abstracts gets me away from that tiny detail stuff. I can relax and loosen up a little bit.”
Abstract painting has allowed Thomas to experiment with a variety of mediums and tools, adding texture and depth for more engaging work. As she has devoted more and more time to abstracts, she had garnered increasing accolades, including being accepted into the Midwest National Abstract Exhibition multiple times.
“I’ve never shown my abstracts, besides entering a show, so this was exciting,” she said.
Kloss has always felt a desire to create art, but only got a taste after taking her first art class as a freshman in high school. Her latent creativity was paused, until moving to Indianapolis and discovering the Southside Art League — also taking a watercolor class by Mathis.
Her exploration truly began after a lesson on abstract painting, and she decided to focus on mixed media abstract work.
Kloss’ work is most made from torn decorative and artist papers, as well as with materials such as string, tissue paper, gesso, paste and acrylic or watercolor paint. Each piece starts with torn paper or fiber, layered to enhance its depth and texture. Bright colors accent the work and draw viewers in.
“There’s freedom in it. I know where my errors are; nobody else does. I don’t come in with a pre-planned idea, but I let the spirit move me,” she said. “I’ve had things sit around for years before I finish them. It’s a working process.”
Besides sharing a medium, both Kloss and Thomas are heavily involved in the local artistic community.
Kloss is a member of the Hoosier Salon. Her paintings have been displayed in businesses in Indianapolis, Irvington and the Indiana Statehouse, as well as in homes of private collectors across the United States. She has won awards from the National Abstract Show and from the Southside Art League Members Show.
Thomas’ memberships include being a signature member of the Watercolor Society of Indiana as well as several other well-known affiliations. Her paintings have been displayed in several places of business in Greenwood, Franklin, Indianapolis and Syracuse, with an ongoing display at a retail business in Illinois.
They are both member artists as well as board members with the Southside Art League, which is how they became friends. That friendship led to their dual exhibition — a unique one among recent shows at the organization.
Though they each have their own work in the exhibition, the pair of artists don’t want the show to feel separated.
“We’re going to integrate; it won’t be like one of us has this wall and the other one has that wall,” Kloss said. “We’re going to put ours together so it looks cohesive. I have a lot of little pieces and a couple big pieces, while (Thomas) has a lot of medium pieces, so it will be an interesting show.”
AT A GLANCE
Barbara Thomas and Kristen Kloss exhibition
What: An art show featuring abract paintings by Thomas and Kloss, both Indianapolis artists.
When: March 4-30
Where: Southside Art League Off Broadway Gallery, 299 E. Broadway St., Greenwood
Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
Reception: The artists will host an open house reception from 6 to 8 p.m. March 9. Light refreshments will be served.
