Unlikely Universes, digital works on canvas, metal and paper by Ann Tracy, opens October 2, Friday during an artist’s reception from 5 to 8 pm at Oak St. Lofts Gallery, 72 Oak St. (between Congress & Cumberland), Portland, Maine and continues to October 25. The reception will feature a musical interlude at 7 pm from the Back Cove Bones, a trombone quartet. Gallery hours are Sat/Sun from 1 to 5 pm and by appointment by emailing QuackyAnn@Duck.com a week in advance. An afternoon Ekphrastic poetry performance is on tap for Sat., Oct 10 at 4 pm and Dr. Charles Rolsky of the Shaw Institute will present “Plastics vs. People” on Oct 24 at 4 pm.

This limited edition series by Ann Tracy is based on her photographs of colorful painting residue containing microplastics from acrylic paint, which reminded her of both the Hubble Space Telescope photos and of a concept from the string theory in physics which multi-universes are present but not detectable in our 3-D universe.

“I am a ‘tree-hugger’ and have been aware of the many environmental challenges we continue to face since the 1970s, said Tracy. “But it was brought into sharp focus when my husband and I moved up to Rockport to a house with a septic system and I realized that everything would eventually go into the groundwater, where we and others in our neighborhood get water for our wells.

To green my studio practice, I devised a very low tech system involving washing brushes in a metal cup and then pouring that colored liquid into an aluminum pan, where it then evaporates. As I worked on paintings for a show, some swirling, colorful drama was occurring in that pan that I was able to photograph.

My images reminded me of the Hubble telescope photos of the universe. This in turn led me to think of the string theory of physics, where multiple universes exist at the same time. Since I was creating universes, why not populate them? At least I won’t be putting micro-plastics into the water in our universe, on the only planet we have. “

Tracy is a New England native who lived in Maine from kindergarten through 3 grade in Cape Neddick and then her family moved south to Massachusetts and then west to Colorado. After meeting her husband in Colorado, they moved first to Wisconsin and then to Northern California where they lived until their 2011 move to Portland Maine. Tracy’s work can be found at the Maine Art Collective Gallery, 9 Moulton St. (Off Commercial St) in Portland’s Old Port area.

Her art spans diverse media - from photography to visual art to theatre (actor, director, playwright) to film and commercial work.  She began working as an actor/dancer/choreographer/director in Boston and Colorado in the 1970's, filling sketch books and canvases.  She was the first female voice on KTLK radio doing news in 1977 and she appeared in the film George B at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996. She was the founding artistic director of Beyond the Proscenium Productions in Sacramento and ran it for 15 years producing world and regional premieres.

Tracy has been working in the photography, painting and digital art worlds and exhibiting since her first group show in San Francisco in 1998. Her photography & art have appeared in group shows from Spain to Hungary to New York to Japan.  Tracy was a finalist in the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

She is a founding member of the Midcoast/Downeast Group of Union of Maine Artists (UMVA) as well as serving on board of directors for UMVA. She is also a member of the Maine Art Collective, Monotype Guild of New England, Professional Women Photographers (NY) and the Saco Public Arts Commission. Read about her recent exploits here: https://anntracy.substack.com/