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).

Strata by Caroline Bagenal ( pictured here)

 " 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."

Strata, detail

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

ROSEKILL (detail)

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.
 

Envy 2013

"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.

At the Sink- 2015

"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

Laura Evans     Bound Bones (Peru-turquoise)

"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.”

Cell, 6.5" x6.5" x2" 2013 Ceramic

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

Eve, 2014, 25" tall, 17" wide, 8" deep by 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.

Original Weapon Series – The Gun that Killed Lincoln (above)

Original Weapon Series – The Gun that Killed Bin Laden ( below)

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.”

Diver

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.

Spin Offs, 2014, bronze, sheet metal, silver plate/bakelite, 8"x14"x14"

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.

Fence Roadway, Stainless Steel, 14"hx9"wx7"d 2014

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.

Nancy Selvage, work in progress

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.

Nora Valdez, "The Immigrant," Fitchburg Mass. 2013.

Tuesday April 29th, 6p-8p

Discussion topic- The Great Outdoors

Caroline Bagenal "Poems" Forest Hills Cemetery, 2004, wood, paint, 12" x 80Feet x 15"

Speaker Lineup: Caroline Bagenal, Rosalyn Driscoll, Mags Harries, Andy Moerlein, Nancy Selvage, Nora Valdez, Hannah Verlin

Still in the design / engineering phase, this sculpture will serve as a signature landmark of the City of Lowell's Hamilton Canal District and celebrate the hydro energy that powered this first great industrial city in America. Artist: Nancy Selvage

Julia Shepley "Tethering Home “ 2014, Dimensions variable,  approximately 8’w x 9’ h x 5' d. Materials: nylon sailcloth, thread, fiberglass rod, fasteners, Photo: Julia Shepley.

Saturday May 3rd 3p-5p 

Discussion topic- Indoor Sites

Jessica Straus, Scrap, installation at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, 2013.

Speaker Lineup: Liz Alexander, Donna Dodson, Susan Lyman, Eric Sealine, Liz Shepherd, Julia Shepley, Jessica Straus

Liz Shepherd, Up and Out of Here, Found Objects, and Vellum, 2013 installation at Trustman Gallery at Simmons College, Boston

Special Thank you to our event host!

Connections/ Conexiónes - Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, co-curators.

In February 2014 members of the Boston Sculptors Gallery and a group of Peruvian artists will present Visions/Visiónes, in Cusco, Peru, an exhibit curated by Argentinian Artist and Boston Sculptors Gallery member Nora Valdez. Milton Academy's Nesto Gallery is excited to host a preview exhibit, Connections/ Conexiónes, that will bring together many of the artists who will be showing in the Qorikancha Museum at the Convent of Santo Domingo. The church and museum are built on the foundation of one of the most important Inca temple sites near Machu Picchu. The Nesto Gallery exhibit will present work inspired by this confluence of cultures. Drawings, models and work that will be shown in Peru by Boston Sculptors Gallery members will hang beside art from many notable Peruvian artists.

Exhibition dates: September 20th through October 28th 2013 

Milton Acedmy's Nesto Gallery in the Art & Media Center (Lower Level) 

170 Centre St, Milton, MA 02186 www.milton.edu/arts/nesto.cfm

Weekdays 8:30a-3:30p (closed October 11th through 14th)

Opening reception Friday September 20th 5:30-7:30pm

Curators talk Wednesday October 9th 9:15 to 10:00am in Greely Auditorium.

Peruvian Culture Night October 18th, 7p-9p Details TBA

Participating artists from Boston Sculptors Gallery:

Caroline Bagenal, Kim Bernard, Murray Dewart, Donna Dodson, Peter De Camp Haines, Nancy Winship Milliken, Andy Moerlein, Nancy Selvage, Liz Shepherd, Nora Valdez, Joseph Wheelwright & Leslie Wilcox.

Participating artists from Peru:

Ronald Alvan Alvites, Pablo Yactayo Chumpitaz , Jacob Sulca Gutierrez, Persi Narvaez Machicao,Jose Luis Morales Sierra, Ivan Rojas Tovar & Victor Zuniga.

Images: L to R, Donna Dodson, Condorita, 2013  walnut 23" tall; Nora Valdez, Set to Go 2012 Indiana Limestone 17"x6"x7".

Pedigree

Elizabeth Alexander, Joyce McDaniel, and Liz Shepherd are featured in PEDIGREE, a group show at the New Art Center curated by Liz Devlin.  September 16 - October 14, 2013

"Prescient and nostalgic, spectacle and critical, Pedigree blurs the lines between craft and fine art, questions art historical and social hierarchies and re-conceives the work of the Masters."

Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 20, 6:00-8:30pm

61 Washington Park, Newtonville, MA 02460

Gallery Hours:  M-F, 9-5; Sat. 1-5  Open September 29 (Sunday) and October 14 (Columbus Day).  New Art Center Website