Assembled Visions by Chad Cochran and Debra Sue Solecki. These two artists share a nostalgic sense of “home” which can mean a real place or town or a memory or state of mind. Through the unique use of mixed media materials and assemblage the artists will exhibit a sense of longing for a simpler time. Both of the BAYarts galleries will be used in conjunction to present this collaborative show.

Artist Statements

Chad Cochran

Chad Cochran was born and raised in the small town of Fredericktown, Ohio.  Wanting nothing more than to escape his rural upbringing, Chad took the first step by attending Bowling Green State University and eventually made his way to Columbus.  Eventually missing the connection to small town life, Chad began retracing his roots of the rustic landscapes that surrounded him as a child.  His fascination with decaying barns, homes and vintage signs provides him the connection to the small town he grew up in.Chad currently resides in Cleveland (Bay Village) Ohio.

Debra Sue Solecki

Intrigued by the strong connection people feel towards their homeland, Debra Sue started a new series based on the observation that humans seem tied to specific places they call home. Therefore, each piece in this series was inspired by a specific location on Earth.

While each composition starts with an actual map the way that Debra Sue changes scale and layers images takes away the literal map and constructs a more dreamlike vision of the location. A viewer who is familiar with that location will draw deeper meaning into the piece building a stronger connection to the images they see.

The mixed media compositions are assembled in layers of drawing, paper collage, found objects and paint. In a similar way the work reveals itself in layers. There are details that may not be instantly noticed but are discovered as more time is spent viewing the piece.