Carol Brode, Artist, Former Gallery Director Urges ‘Never Stop Creating’
By PAIGE NICHOLS
Every student at Seton Hill University has the opportunity to view a variety of exhibits at the Seton Hill Visual Arts Building. Emily Franicola, the Harlan Gallery director, delivers a multitude of showcases from both students and local professional artists. This year, the Jodee Harris Gallery opened its doors with the collection “Intertextual” created by Carol Brode. Previously the Gallery Director at Seton Hill, Brode has many accomplishments in the art world, including exhibiting at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
Along the walls of the gallery are hanging wooden boxes filled with wax, also known as encaustic inlay, which hold the blurry visions of quotes. These words vary in color and clarity, conveying a broad range of meanings for the artist, as well as the viewers at the showcase.
Brode explained that every quote displayed at this show was derived from one specific person, Bob Dylan. “He was around when I was young, and I listened to him, but no biggie. When he won the Nobel Prize for Literature, I thought huh … maybe I’ll look into him again. I read a book about him, and then I got some of his old music. … I started listening, and there were certain lyrics that seemed relevant to my life.”
Brode would slowly collect quotes over the years from Dylan’s music. These words would lead her to repeatedly create new inlays with oil-painted fonts. Brode shared with students the learning curve she experienced when adapting to the temperament of wax and oil. “I tried for a long time to use colored wax for the text, and it ended up being pretty costly. It just wouldn’t blend, so I began using oil paints. … [S]ome of these have a laser print transfer. You burst the text on warm wax. … [It] makes the tiny stuff easier.”
As an artist, obsession plays a large role in her work, but every chapter must come to a close. While speaking to attendees at the opening night, she disclosed that she is ready to move on from her past work and create something new. As the night came to an end, Brode shared her wisdom for all artists, “When you make your first sale, take that money and buy more art supplies … never stop creating.”