Related Impressions
Related Impressions: Rudy Ackerman and Ann Lalik. Exhibited @ Civic 514 Gallery, Allentown PA June 2- July 5, 2016
I always thought my dad and I would have a show together and I am sad he passed away before we did. In 2014 I was privileged to curate his retrospective at the Baum School of Art and in 2015, after he died, I reverently mounted a few of the sculptures he still had on his work bench in his studio. Both of these experiences rekindled a design vocabulary for me that I’m sure was influenced by him.
Me and Dad installing his exhibition at the Baum School of Art, 2014

His work in this exhibit represents paintings, prints and sculpture dating from as early as the 1970’s. The work shows diverse techniques yet a cohesive vocabulary that often includes circles, squares, lines and texture to create flowing movement and luscious surfaces.
Mine is a new body of work in the form of wearable pendants that were specifically designed with my father’s vocabulary. They are not the usual conceptual “burdens” that tell stories about the stages of a woman’s life or of God’s grace. They simply incorporate circles, squares, texture, squiggly lines and color as an homage to my dad. In order to create the size, color and texture I envisioned, I used cast acrylic and electroformed specimens that I made thirty years ago. They were tucked away all this time, patiently waiting for me to use them for the perfect project.
Photos by Hub Willson