Currently on view, this immersive, four-channel video installation by BSG member Rosalyn Driscoll and guest filmmaker Sarah Bliss highlights their deeply shared interest in the human body as both site of and source for their work. Bliss’ experience as a mover informs her physically engaged filmmaking. Driscoll’s work speaks to people’s sense of touch, proprioception, and spatiality. Here, the use of moving image to draw links between the landscapes of the human body and the earth’s body, and the choice to especially focus on older bodies (which remain less visible in our culture) make the lived experience of the aging body a central theme. Up through July 19.
Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015
The exhibition features site-specific contemporary sculptures by 24 Boston-area artists who found fresh inspiration at the former summer home, studio and gardens of noted American sculptor Daniel Chester French.
Stockbridge, Mass. – East meets west at Chesterwood this season in the innovative, site-specific sculpture exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”. The temporary installation, on view daily at Chesterwood from May 23 to Oct. 12, features new works by 24 members and alumni of Boston Sculptors Gallery, based in Boston’s South End. The striking artworks in the show represent a diverse range of media and styles, created in response to sources of inspiration found by the artists at Chesterwood, the former summer home, studio and gardens of Daniel Chester French, America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments. The exhibition has been supported, in part, by a grant from the Artist’s Resource Trust.
“We invited the Boston Sculptors Gallery to organize an exhibition inspired by Daniel Chester French’s life and work as well as Chesterwood’s landscape that French designed himself. Twenty-four artists from the Gallery took up the challenge and visited Chesterwood several times over the course of a year as their ideas for three-dimensional work in a variety of media and scale took shape,” said Executive Director Donna Hassler.”
“As sculptors, one of our tasks is to imagine and re-imagine the connection between earth and sky. Chesterwood offers the perfect landscape and setting for this,” said Boston Sculptors Gallery co-founder Murray Dewart.
Chesterwood is notably one of the earliest venues in the United States to successively showcase large-scale abstract, conceptual and figurative works in an outdoor setting. Since 1978, the works of more than 500 emerging and established sculptors have been exhibited at Chesterwood, including Glenda Goodacre, Sol LeWitt, Albert Paley, George Rickey and Richard Stankiewicz. Chesterwood’s annual sculpture exhibition commemorates Daniel Chester French’s distinguished life and career and provides an important platform for contemporary American sculptors.
“We are thrilled to bring our work to Chesterwood and to being a part of the incredible array of arts-focused places in the Berkshires,” said Boston Sculptors Gallery artist Nancy Winship Milliken, who co-organized the exhibition with colleague Andy Zimmermann and Chesterwood’s executive director.
During the past year, the exhibiting artists visited Chesterwood to select locations for their sculptures—choices that included the French family estate’s home, verdant lawns, formal gardens, bucolic woodland paths and French’s newly restored studio—and have created works in reaction to experiencing this historic and picturesque site. As a result, some artists branched into the use of new materials and sculptural techniques. For others it was an opportunity to bring their indoor studio practices into a fresh and inspirational environment. The exhibition represents a rich and diverse variety of sculptural languages in a wide range of materials including stone, steel, wood, bronze, fiberglass, plastic and paper.
Participating artists include Elizabeth Alexander, Caroline Bagenal, Kim Bernard, Murray Dewart, Donna Dodson, Rosalind Driscoll, Laura Evans, Sally Fine, Peter DeCamp Haines, Mags Harries, Niho Kozuru (alumni), David Lang, Michelle Lougee, Nancy Winship Milliken, Andy Moerlein, Eric Sealine, Nancy Selvage, Marilu Swett, The Myth Makers (a joint collaboration of Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein), Andrea Thompson, Nora Valdez, Leslie Wilcox, Andy Zimmermann and Christina Zwart.
An artist’s reception for “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015” will be held on Saturday, June 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. The event will include walking tours with artists whose works are on view. Admission is $10 for Chesterwood members and $20 for non-members.
In conjunction with the exhibition, artists from Boston Sculptors Gallery will present “Saturday Art Programs”, a family-friendly series of art tours, demonstrations and workshops, including talks about their work in relation to Chesterwood and the surrounding Berkshire landscape, from June 6 through Sept. 12 at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The programs are free with admission.
June 6
“A Walk in the Woods”. Explore outdoor sculptures in “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015” with artists Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, whose work is in the exhibition. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission. Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, the Myth Makers, will greet curious sculpture enthusiasts and stroll the lovely landscape of Chesterwood contributing inside information on the sculptures on display. This Mythic duo know well the personalities behind the work and have pertinent information about the media and concepts presented in this large exhibition by the Boston Sculptors Gallery. Dress for the weather and enjoy some space outdoors with art.
June 13
Art program with sculptors Nora Valdez, Michelle Lougee and Caroline Baganal, in conjunction with the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
June 20
“Pollinators of the Garden and the Imagination”. Explore nature’s pollinators and sculptures on Chesterwood’s grounds with scientist Bill Stubblefield, naturalist Kimberly Lenz, and sculptor Nancy Selvage, whose artwork in the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015” was inspired by the pollination process. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission. Bill Stubblefield is an evolutionary biologist with a research focus on Hymenoptera, the order of insects that include bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies. Kimberly Lenz is an artist and naturalist with extensive field experience. Nancy Selvage created a sculpture inspired by the process of pollination for the Boston Sculptors exhibition at Chesterwood.
June 27
Opening reception with the artists of “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015” featuring 24 site-specific sculptures and installations. Includes walking tours with the artists. 4 to 7 p.m. $10 members; $20 non-members.
July 11
“Sculpture and the New England Landscape”. Tour Chesterwood’s grounds with sculptors Rosalyn Driscoll who will discuss how the sculptural installations in “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015” correspond to New England’s architectural elements and landforms. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
July 18
Penny Portrait! Art program with sculptors Christina Zwart and David Lang, in conjunction with the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Help us honor Daniel Chester French and his iconic design of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Since an image of his sculpture also appears on the penny, come help build a portrait of our 16thpresident out of pennies! Help yourself to our stash, or bring your own!
July 25
Thirteen Ways of Looking at Sculpture
Art program with sculptors Murray Dewart and Eric Sealine, in conjunction with the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Murray Dewart and Eric Sealine will discus the "why?" as well as the "how?" of the works. They will tour the grounds and discuss the sculptures. They will answer questions and provide insights about the work. Each piece has a story.
Aug. 1
“Walking the Line A Drawing/Mapping Workshop for all ages" led by Laura Evans of Boston Sculptors Gallery. Tour Chesterwood’s grounds and then create a map – either real or imaginary. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission. Families welcome. We will walk together to see and respond to the sculpture on display. Afterwards we will draw a map of a walk we’ve taken - either at Chesterwood or a familiar daily path. Materials provided.
Aug. 8
"A Walk and Talk about Process and Substance," Art program with sculptors Niho Kozuru and Leslie Wilcox, in conjunction with the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Aug. 22
“Folding Fans and Billowing Bark WORKSHOPS” with sculptors Sally Fine and Leslie Wilcox of Boston Sculptors Gallery. Learn about the history and language of fans and make small, accordion-folded, paper hand fans. Fine’s “Fan Scepter” sculpture is on view in the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Sally Fine will make small accordion-fold hand fans with sheets of paper, wooden sticks and glue. Your newly made fan can be used to cool yourself as you stroll the grounds on this August day and view the other sculptures. Sally will discuss the history and language of fans during this workshop.
Leslie Wilcox will ‘hem’ and shape bark-like shards of soft wire screen such as those embellishing her piece BARKMOORE. Leslie will talk about her techniques for working with metal screens and will describe her process for tailoring each sculpture to its’ site.
Aug 29
Sculpture and the New England Landscape
Art program with sculptor Nancy Milliken, in conjunction with the exhibition “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Tour the grounds of Chesterwood with Nancy Winship Milikin who will be talking about Boston Sculpture Gallery’s installations in relation to the architectural elements and landforms of New England.
Sept. 12
“Pinwheels and Floating Flowers Workshop”. Join sculptors Kim Bernard and Andy Zimmermann of Boston Sculptors Gallery in this playful and engaging hands-on workshop and sculpture tour for adults and children. Participants will make pinwheels and floating flowers and learn about kinetics and wind power. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Alongside Chesterwood’s “Boston Sculptors Gallery at Chesterwood 2015”, the Concord Art Association in Concord, Mass., is presenting an exhibition of the work of 24 Boston Sculptors Gallery artists in the exhibition “Boston Sculptors in Concord”. The show runs from June 18 through Aug. 15 and is curated by renowned sculptor Joseph Wheelwright.
In an interesting twist, Daniel Chester French was the first president of the Concord Art Association’s board of directors in 1922. During French’s tenure, the 60 painters and 18 sculptors exhibiting at the then-named Concord Art Centre were many of the period’s most significant American artists, including Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, Thomas Dewing, Robert Henri, Frank W. Benson, Cecilia Beaux, Laura Coombs Hills, Alexander Stirling Calder, George Bellows, Willard L. Metcalf…and Daniel Chester French.
About Boston Sculptors Gallery
Founded in 1992 by 18 prominent Boston-area artists to present and promote innovative, challenging sculpture and installations, Boston Sculptors Gallery is the only sculptors’ organization in the United States that maintains its own exhibition space. The cooperative has presented more than 250 exhibitions and has supported the work of 58 sculptors in 48 states and 36 countries.
Boston Sculptors Gallery articulates, challenges, and promotes the role of sculpture in the public sphere, in communities, and in the lives of individuals. In addition to the continuing program of exhibits in the gallery in Boston’s South End, the organization has presented exhibitions of its sculptors in other venues and countries including “Ovid’s Girls – Overlaps and Undercurrents – Boston/Berlin” (Berlin and Memmingen, Germany, 2014), “Visions/Visiones” (Cusco, Peru, 2013), “Convergence” on the 14-acre Christian Science Plaza (Boston, 2013), “Re-Shaping Reality” at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (Vt., 2010), and at the Fitchburg Art Museum (Mass., 2007). For more information, see www.bostonsculptors.com
About Concord Art Association
Since its’ founding in 1917, the Concord Art Association promotes and advances contemporary art through exhibitions, lectures and classes. It also maintains a small permanent collection of art produced by leading early 20th century artists. For more information, see www.concordart.org
About Chesterwood
Chesterwood, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is the summer home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931). French is best known for his sculptures of the Minute Man (1875) and the seated figure of Abraham Lincoln (1922) for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
Situated on 122 acres in the idyllic hamlet of Glendale near Stockbridge, Mass., the property and its buildings were donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation by French’s only child Margaret French Cresson (1889-1973). Chesterwood is recognized as both a National Historic Landmark and a Massachusetts Historic Landmark. For more information, see www.chesterwood.org.
All photos courtesy Paul Rocheleau.
Books are Frosting
Strata, Caroline Bagenal's 10 foot high sculpture dominates the back room at Boston Sculptors Gallery. As the title suggests this sculpture was constructed in layers. Caroline describes the problems she encountered ( below).
" I had to make each layer light enough so that I could move it, but strong enough so that it could take the accumulated weight of the other layers. I also had to make it very portable so that it could be quickly assembled and disassembled in the gallery as I had only one full day and an evening to install. Each layer presented different problems, even the hay bales were the wrong size to fit into my 5 foot square. So I worked with wooden framing, multiple cardboard tubes and boxes. The hardest part was lifting the final layers into place. I also wanted to include a few of my favorite books. The books are like the frosting between the layers, I went around the house collecting them on the day of install and chose which ones would fit together, by title and content as well as color and size. The books add a personal element to the piece. I teach a seminar class on issues in contemporary art so there are texts related to that class and to a class I teach on African art. I have taken students to Africa 6 times that experience became part of the sculpture. All in all Strata is about layers of memories, experiences and ideas."
Christina Zwart: WHOLE ( in part)
Early one morning in summer 2011, I was walking in Chatham on Cape Cod and I came across a rabbit, lying on its side. Its eyes were open, but it wasn't moving. Inside its ear was the most amazing blue hue. I took a photo with my phone and that was that. Until I started noticing every dead animal on the road. Ever since, I've been stopping the car -- much to the chagrin of my kids -- to photograph roadkill. Though some are upsetting to look at, together these creatures now have a second life and have morphed from disturbing to beautiful.
-Christina Zwart
In Christina Zwart’s debut show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, she presents five new large scale works of art that are each composed of smaller individual elements. Familiar objects such as condoms, dollar bills, photographs, bees and grains of sand, congregate and proliferate to become bill board sized installations that broadcast powerful messages and complex concepts. Zwart’s pieces transform in shape and meaning as the viewer moves from ten feet away to ten inches. Bringing attention to social issues such as AIDS, the pay gap, or the death of bees, these pieces provoke and inspire. This is the final week to see this show- Please join us for First Fridays, May 1st from 5p-8p.
Poetry, Sculpture, Music and Tea at the Boston Sculptors Gallery
Saturday March 28 from 3:30 – 5:30 pm
Audrey Henderson will be reading from her new book of poetry, Airstream, 2014, Homebound Publications at 4:30
Ariel Friedman, cellist, will play accompaniment starting at 3:30
Audrey Henderson was a 2014 Hawthornden Fellow and a finalist for the 2014 Homebound Publications Poetry Prize. Her manuscript Airstream was published in November. Her poems have most recently appeared or are appearing in Magma, The Midwest Quarterly and Tar River Poetry. She was a finalist in the Indiana Review 1/2 K Award and won second place in the River Styx International Poetry Contest. She is a 2015 Pushcart Prize nominee and was a finalist the 2014 Slapering Hol Chapbook Contest. She is originally from Scotland where she was a contributor to BBC Radio Scotland.
Ariel Friedman is a multi-genre trailblazing cellist, composer and educator from Boston. Winner of ASTA’s 2009 Alternative Styles Award, she has a masters degree from New England Conservatory. Her diverse musicality adds to performances with her acclaimed sibling band, Ari & Mia, champion fiddler Hanneke Cassel, and her classical string ensemble, the Cardamom Quartet. www.ariandmiamusic.com
Last weekend to view the sculpture exhibits:
Susan Lyman The Body of Nature and Julia Shepley LOCUS, on exhibit through March 29th
Susan Lyman is exhibiting sculpture in wood evoking the body in nature, the gathered elements of sapling, root, trunk, and vine seamlessly juxtaposed and animated into sensuous hybrid relationships.
Julia Shepley is exhibiting a series of mobile, sculptural drawings using references to architectural blueprints and household objects to convey the lasting physical and emotional imprint of place.
Contact: Julia Shepley, jrshepley@rcn.com , 617-628-7623
Susan Lyman: The Body of Nature
Trees, woods, flowers and the botanical world have become material, inspiration, idea, source, and solace in Susan Lyman's new work. What the woods naturally cough up, as in driftwood on the Provincetown sea shore, tear down, as in trees felled in Hurricane Bob, or leave behind, as in balsam trees at Christmas, the artist accumulates and repurposes as raw material for her sculptures. Lyman works back and forth between drawing and painting and sculpture, bringing life to the wood, and in turn, populating the imagined landscape paintings with the stuff of her sculpture.
"The title and the image are suggestive enough. I like its vulnerability, pathos, humor, and direct references to images of the female form- like hosiery hanging out to dry. It 's about the ideals of the perfectly thin female, perhaps too thin… And I associate the color acid green to envy."
-Susan Lyman
Julia Shepley: Locus
Julia Shepley is exhibiting new kinetic sculptures in her current show, "Locus" at the Boston Sculptors Gallery. These pieces reference time and space in addition to dimensionality and a layered sense of human perception.
"This piece (of which a detail is shown here) is about being at the kitchen sink and listening to the sounds of the house behind you, the gathering of a sense of place before making a transition into the next activity. A linear mobile sculptural work made of three dimensional stitching and wire interacts with it’s cast shadow on the wall behind. The traces and patterns of places are layered, distorted and repeated as they are in dreams.The artist has placed the work so that your eye level is at the intersection of the piece and the shadow."
-Julia Shepley
Laura Evans: Bound Bones
The wrapped bones definitely were inspired by my trip to Peru, the mummies in the Qorikancha, as well as Chancay dolls made by indigenous Andean women.
My mother also died in 2012, so I had begun making small bones well before that. I started in 2010 probably, kind of as a way to hold onto her, to honor her.
They are my own personal ritual objects but reference the many ways cultures imbue bones with spiritual and sometimes magical powers. The Rune Fragments series were part of this thinking.
-Laura Evans
"I directly model Sculpey Lite* and then bake it. It’s easy to shape and smooth by hand, so no tools are necessary except maybe some fine sandpaper once it is baked. The next part of my process is to choose which bones to combine, whether and how to wrap the sculptures and then arrange them." -Laura Evans
*Sculpey Lite is a type of Polymer clay is a type of hardenable modeling clay based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It typically contains no clay minerals, but like mineral clay a liquid is added to dry particles until it achieves gel-like working properties, and similarly, the part is put into an oven to harden, hence its colloquial designation as clay
You can see Laura Evans' work in the upcoming exhibition Excavation, that is curated by Adrienne Jacobson at the New Art Center in Newton from March 22-May 9, 2015. The show’s theme goes beyond archaeology to “dig beneath the surface” with materials. Save the date for the OPENING RECEPTION & CURATOR TALK, Saturday, March 28, 5-8:30PM, (talk at 5PM)
Michelle Lougee- Clay Journals
Lougee’s Cells began as a kind of ‘clay journal’ connecting sources of inspiration. “After visiting a cancer research lab and looking at HeLa cells under the microscope” the artist states, “I began to work with cell imagery. As one piece led to another the inspiration for ‘cells’ range from blood cells, phytoplankton, fossils, vegetation and many other biological references.”
The Cells were made using a wooden frame as a mold. Slabs of clay were laid into the frame and then sculpted by hand. The pieces were fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln with a Matt black glaze wiped off to emphasize textures.
Michelle currently has a solo show Ubiquitous, at the Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons College, February 4 - March 5, 2015. The Cells represent a ceramic sketchbook linking ideas and stimulus.
Larry Pollans- Back to Basics
"My ceramic technique is fundamental. No frills. I use standard blends available locally. I let the pieces dry for long periods of time since the thicknesses are uneven. I often go back into the surfaces with rasps and knives to sharpen a form and pull out an edge. These pieces are only fired once at low temperature to reduce the amount of shrinkage. Often, I paint the bisque pieces with oil stains to deepen the resonance of the color. " -Larry Pollans
The Original Weapon Series by Andy Moerlein
The Original Weapon Series is based on a canine tooth. The concept is that if we relied on the original weapons of mammal battle, we might have a far safer and more stable world. The inscriptions on the teeth of the various weapons used to kill iconic individuals (in this case Lincoln and Bin Laden) is a technique reference to scrimshaw, the handiwork of whalers done on the teeth and bones of their victims. Scrimshaw is an example of execution made into lovely relics.
For these two sculptures I am in mid-process of creating a larger series. These two pieces show two slightly different approaches. I made an original in clay and then cast it. I used the mold for a slip cast to create the second "weapon." One inscription is drawn on with an underglaze pencil. For the other, I use a method more similar to the scrimshaw technique. I carved in a line drawing, then filled the groove with underglaze. Both are finished with a clear glaze finish "enamel."
Murray Dewart: Pulse of Morning
In Murray Dewart’s current show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, the scale of his new work that is presented in the front gallery dominates the space. Carefully chosen to allow breathing room between the pieces, the presentation of new granite, bronze, stainless steel, glass and aluminum sculpture is well paced. Dewart’s exhibition, Pulse of Morning, reveals sublime relationships amongst the artworks that emerge for the viewer. This is one of his strongest shows. My favorite piece in the show is his late Flower Alphabet. He exhibited a smaller version of this work at Milton Academy last fall, but the scale, and additional complexity in this monumental work, is very compelling. It evokes hieroglyphs, mandalas and Mayan calendars, and hints at a secret language. This is the last week to see this show- don’t miss it! Closing Reception: Saturday, February 21, from 4 - 7 pm
Christopher Abrams: Space / Craft
In Christopher Abrams’ inaugural show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, he condenses his sculptural language and materials into small bouillon cubes of form and shape that seem to hover and float in the gallery. From plexiglass and wood, to metal and 3d modeling he crafts his fascination with science fiction and space ships into formal works of art. One of my favorite pieces is a tiny space ship, that evokes an effigy. It is made of turned wood, a robin’s egg shell, and found objects. Both the poetry of his visual language, and the mastery of his craft are exemplified in this tiny work of art. A brilliant distillation! This is the last week to see his show- don’t miss it! Closing Reception: Saturday, February 21, from 4 - 7 pm
Sketchy Sculptors is only up for one more week. Please join us for the Closing Reception/First Fridays: Friday January 9, 2015 5p-8p
The current show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery features all of the current members and many of its alumni members in an exciting group show of sketches, drawings and maquettes.
Each artist created these small scale, affordable works of art in different materials, and with different ideas. Exhibited together, they form an exciting show that sheds light on the process of creation and the mind of the maker. Each artist works in their own style, whether it be abstract, figurative, conceptual or representational. This group show presents the varied approaches to sculpture within the membership which is a rare treat.
In my own case, the drawings I am exhibiting were created to conceptualize how I was going to transform one of my outdoor sculptures using paint. I had thought about painting neon daisies on my Seagull Cinderella sculpture but I did not dare do it! I had to create the drawings to imagine what it might look like. Once finished, they convinced me to go for it! Taking that leap of faith would not have been possible without making these drawings.
-Donna Dodson
Fathoming the Deep Waters
In Marilu Swett’s current show, “Sounding” she focuses her attention on the ocean, and creates a visually stunning, emotionally appealing show of brand new work. Sounding has multiple meanings. It is a term used for whales diving, taking depth measurements with sonar and making sounds.
One of her sculptures, "Diver" is a small whale tail form made in lead that is "sounding" on a shelf. It has a pair of human legs incised on the surface, and is painted in acrylic. As she describes “I was thinking of parallels with scrimshaw (the incising process), comparative anatomy, and my proximity to the ocean. Whale fluke depiction is common in Massachusetts, as we have Stellwagen Bank and its humpback summer inhabitants. The legs are modeled on my son's- his name is Jonah. The image is absurd and comical, and to me poignant as well.”
Portals to the Space beyond
In Sarah Hutt’s new body of work, “Portals,” the wire drawings she has created use cast shadows to intensify their affect. The small scale works invite the viewer to enter visual doorways into the wide open space beyond the plane. Combining the simplicity of the wire drawings with the dramatic shadows - these sculptures convey images and sensations drawn from her dream world into her waking moments.
In her own words, “This body of work is about drawing and is based on a dream about flying. In the dream I rose up to the ceiling floating through the ceiling to find myself outside looking down on the roof of my building. I flew around the neighborhood above the treetops rolling and twirling in the air. I tried to capture that feeling of freedom and playfulness in these wire drawings to relay what I imagine would be the feelings I experienced were I really able to fly.”
Nowhere is the presence of the figure so present as when it is absent
In Sally Fine’s current show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, ‘Catch and Release’ a multitude of sculptural investigations of fish are on view. For this artist, who is predominantly known for her figurative work, this foray into sea life is both an implication of the impact of human beings on the environment and an exploration of her formal artistic concerns. For example, ‘Unschooled,’ refers to the ways in which human behavior has altered fish migration, spawning patterns and whole populations. Another piece offers up ‘Spin offs’ a sculpture of a school of fish caught in a boat propeller blade. The exhibition and accompanying catalog, trace the natural history and evolution of fish, from conservation and sustenance, through overfishing, pollution and fish held in captivity. Likewise, Fine’s use of bronze, aluminum, glass and mixed media, catches these elusive creatures, and evocatively renders their presence as a commentary upon the current state of our ocean.
Shape Shifter
In Gillian Christy’s current show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, “Course” her signature vocabulary of buds, leaves, wind and waves has morphed from the monumental to the intimate. While her outdoor work in stainless steel ranges in scale from 10-100 ft tall, she draws the viewer into her intimately scaled pieces, in this brand new show. At one to two feet tall, these playfully windswept, whirling dervish sculptures are perched on handsomely fashioned, composite wood pedestals that evoke a hammered steel patina. As Murray Dewart , one of the founding members of the Boston Sculptors Gallery, remarked, ‘she handles the material like butter. ‘ A wheel sprouts wings, a fence becomes a ladder, and buds sprout into leaves, in many of her sculptures. Neither her imagination nor her skill have reached the limit of their possibilities. The exhibition and accompanying catalogs: Sculpture Inside & Sculpture Outside fill the viewer with insights into her artistic vision.
Slide Swipe! The Artist’s Hand
Get an insider’s view into the minds of working artists by joining the Boston Center for the Arts and Boston Sculptors Gallery for a lively evening of discussion in this unique first time collaboration of two South End institutions. In this rapid-fire, visual presentation-style event, artists from both groups engage the audience in a fast paced exchange about the artistic process. Come lend your voice to the conversation as artists consider: How do artists make their work? What is their relationship to their materials? Do materials speak to them? Moderated by Randi Hopkins, Associate Director of Visual Arts at the BCA. Free and open to all ages, light refreshments provided.
Featuring Elizabeth Alexander, Gillian Christy, Rosalyn Driscoll , Sally Fine and Kalimah Muhammad from the Boston Sculptors Gallery and Leika Akiyama, Rebecca Greene, Georgina Lewis, Silvia Lopez-Chavez and Beverly Sky from the Boston Center for the Arts. Each artist will present 20 slides that are timed to run for 20 seconds each. The presentations will be followed by a community Q&A.
Inside the Studio with Boston Sculptors
During ArtWeek Boston, Boston Sculptors Gallery will present two pecha kucha style events that will offer rapid fire presentations rich with images and stories to illustrate how each sculptor develops ideas, responds to site and community, and engages audiences. The artists take you behind the scenes for a sneak peak into the how and why of their studio practice. The Boston Sculptors Gallery members offer the audience an unusual experience you can't get in commercial art gallery and museum shows. Scroll down for the event details, discussion topics and speaker line ups.
Moderated by Ron Mallis, of BostonAPP/Lab, each event includes a lively Q&A. Free and open to the public of all ages, light refreshments included. The events will take place at the Boston Society of Architects, 290 Congress St, Suite 200, Boston. To RSVP for either one or both of these events, please send an email to reception@architects.org and specify the date(s) of the event(s) you wish to attend.
Tuesday April 29th, 6p-8p
Discussion topic- The Great Outdoors
Speaker Lineup: Caroline Bagenal, Rosalyn Driscoll, Mags Harries, Andy Moerlein, Nancy Selvage, Nora Valdez, Hannah Verlin
Saturday May 3rd 3p-5p
Discussion topic- Indoor Sites
Speaker Lineup: Liz Alexander, Donna Dodson, Susan Lyman, Eric Sealine, Liz Shepherd, Julia Shepley, Jessica Straus