Twins exhibiting at Quincy Art Center share identical interest in art of paperma

Veda Rives, left, watches as her indentical twin sister, Meda Rives, hangs a portion of their "Twin Pathway" art installation this month in the Qincy Art Center."We call it a Book Environ," Veda Rives said of the handmade paper piece. The Rives are among artists from Bloomingdale-Normal opening exhhibits.(H-W Photo/Philip Carlson)

Veda and Meda Rives share a love of nature and of art.

They also share the same looks and a similar sense of humor that has them dressing alike and wearing the same glasses and hairdo.

The Rives are twins who are a mirror image of each other.

"We have fun with it," said Veda.

"I tell my students who are transferring from Parkland (Community College) to Illinois State University that if they see someone there who looks like me, but doesn't recognize them, then that's my sister, Veda," said Meda. "They hardly ever believe me."

The Rives are among artists from the Bloomington-Normal area who are opening three exhibits Friday at the Quincy Art Center.

Their 20-by-40-foot double spiral installation, created of paper panels, hangs from branches in the center's Sinnock Gallery. It creates a space that invites viewers to walk in. The rising spirals meet in the center and it feels as though they spin the viewer out again.

Papermaking grew out of their love of printmaking. When they started to recycle their "mistakes," they discovered that handmaking paper was an art in itself.

One of the spirals incorporates maple leaf shapes while the other uses lily leaves and flowers and darker tan triangles that suggest decay. All the paper incorporates fiber from abaca, yarn, thread, wood, tea leaves and hair as well as sawdust, milkweed silks and seeds. The effect of the white panels that result is to create a private space that is airy and dappled with sunlight, like sitting beneath a tree.

"We work on these together in the conceptual part, the actual making of it and the installing like we do here," said Meda. "We've always been a good team."

"These are fun projects where we get to work together," Veda said.

In addition to teaching in Bloomington, the sisters own and operate Mirror Image Press. They will give a gallery talk at about 7:30 p.m. during Friday's opening.

Also on exhibit are Jin Lee's photographs of Lake Michigan and her Small Mountain series. L.J. Douglas will show 22 drawings and paintings that focus on skin as a place of exchange and contact.

(Edit:Ruby)