Jan. 22, 2008

As Presbyterian College students enter the new biology wing later this semester, they may draw inspiration in their study of life by looking up.

Lassiter Hall’s Belk Atrium will feature a 750 square foot ceiling mural currently being painted by internationally known artist Brenda Mauney Councill. The work, “The Spiral of Life,” is being commissioned by one of one of the college’s most steadfast supporters, Irwin and Carol Belk.

“Mr. Belk is interested in leaving a legacy of distinction related to visual art at Presbyterian College,” said PC president Dr. John Griffith. “Councill is a mural artist whose reputation is consistent with this legacy.”

“The Spiral of Life” is an iconic representation of the origin and the biology of life. The mural is laced with a DNA spiral connected and intertwined with the plant and animal kingdom indicating the development of living things ranging from bacteria to highly evolved mammals.

The idea of the developing spiral and gestating light further demonstrates the evolution of all life forms. Councill’s goal is to evoke the importance of studies in biology. As the daughter of a scientist, the artist drew on her own sources of inspiration.

“My interest in science was encouraged by my father and he fostered a sense of exploration and curiosity in me that resulted in an overall broadening of my understanding of the physical world and the universe,” she said. “This significant exposure to the sciences has made me a better artist without a doubt.”

The painting will be executed directly on the ceiling of the atrium by way of customized scaffolding 30 feet off the atrium floor. Councill will do the entire work alone.

“The challenges of designing and executing in large scale are many and the various viewing angles pose perspective problems that are not easily solved,” she said. “Creating a convincing illusion or trompe l’oeil effect is the goal in this manner of painting.”

Councill is nationally renowned for her excellence in the specialty of large-scale murals, trompe l’oeil , and narrative paintings on domed ceilings and entire rooms. She tackles residential, historic and corporate projects that have brought widespread recognition to the artist over the past 15 years.

Her last projects have included a towering hospital atrium more than six stories high – resplendent with a domed ceiling designed by the artist – and the massive ceiling and wall mural ascending 85 feet in the $50 million Irwin and Carol Grotnes Belk Library at Appalachian State University.

A resident of North Carolina, Councill grew up in Jacksonville, Fla. Her career was launched in 1963 at the age of seven with her debut exhibition of paintings at the Jacksonville Museum of Arts and Sciences.

Her first televised interview at age 11 attracted regional interest and yielded important commissions that led the artist to design and supervise the installation of her first outdoor sculpture. This early recognition of her talent resulted in national media attention including an appearance on NBC’s “The Today Show.”

In 1987, Councill opened a second studio in New York and began an impressive list of solo and group exhibitions that previewed her signature work of paintings and mixed-media constructions. The Circle Gallery hosted a major venue that gained widespread acclaim from such sponsors as the Smithsonian Institution, the Susan and Stephen Geller Foundation, the Advertising Club of New York Foundation and the National Arts Club. Corporate collections include DuPont, AT&T, Credit Suisse, British Airways as well as the Canadian Imperial Bank. Well-known private collectors in New York, Florida and Europe include Roberta Von Schlossberg, Sidney Kimmel, Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos, Brett Butler, John Smoltz, Diana and Llywd Ecclestone, and the late Greta Garbo.

Hollywood’s illustrious entertainment community has recently embraced Council’s work. Her generous contribution benefiting the Motion Picture and Television Fund has been widely acknowledged by many celebrities, including Michael Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, Heather Locklear, Josh Duhamel and Don Cheadle. Councill’s current clientele also demand the artist’s unique creativity and extraordinary range to compliment the magnificent interiors of their estates from coast to coast.

To view Brenda Councill’s website please go to:

http://www.councill.net

http://web.mac.com/brendacouncill/iWeb/councill/Intro.html.

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