Dan Wills: Making Tracks

As a child I had the basic Erector set which with which I could only make simple things like a wheelbarrow. The son of friends of ours had the set that could make the Coney Island Parachute Fall and an electric motor for huge cranes. For me his was the golden prize. Many, many years later while teaching at the Museum School I chanced to go down into a dank cellar. There on the floor, by itself, was the stuff of my dreams, the golden prize, a complete "professional set". In a nano second I had it in the truck. This find started me on a sequence of images based on set parts.

-Dan Wills

Margaret Swan: Color Constructs

After working for many years with the inherent colors of aluminum, copper, and concrete, with only subtle variation of natural patinas, Color Constructions is a bold departure of polychrome wooden reliefs. Inspired by architectural forms, such as piers and bridges, Low Tide is composed of layers of plywood, shingles, and laths within a rectangular format. The wooden elements are painted with colors that range from the natural tonalities of piers in the harbor to the bright colors of the nylon ropes securing the boats.

-Margaret Swan

Please join Margaret Swan and concurrent artist Dan Wills for a SOWA First Friday,  the last Friday of their show on November 6 from 5-8 pm.

Low Tide, 2015, acrylic on wood, 48”x36”x2”​

Andy Zimmermann. Three Sculptures and Two Installations, One with Sound

"The story I would most like to tell about this show is about how much I have enjoyed watching viewers enter the the gallery and walk toward my piece.  I programmed the piece so that the sound frequencies and string vibrations are different every time someone triggers it. Some people see the strings vibrating before they actually hear anything, some hear faint, high pitches coming from the back fliers, and some hear a sudden crashing sound that can be pretty startling. The way each person’s attention gets drawn in to the piece, and each person’s reaction, becomes an important part of the sculpture. I’ve seen people do double-takes as though they can’t quite believe what they are seeing. I’ve seen people laughing and jumping up and down, waving their arms. A lot of people get a big smile when they realize they are communicating with the sculpture, and it is responding to them."

-Andy Zimmermann

The One With Sound by Andy Zimmermann

Blindsight

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.

Forest Grace by The Myth Makers: Donna Dodson & Andy Moerlein, #1 on the walking map

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.

Aegis: The Sheltering Sky by Eric Sealine, #2 on the walking map

“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.”

Big Red by Murray Dewart, #3 on the walking map

“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.

Two-Sided Head by Peter DeCamp Haines, #4 on the walking map

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.

Threading Yellow by Laura Evans, #5 on the walking map

“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.

Time and Tide by Andrea Thompson, #6 on the walking map

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.

Cistern by Rosalyn Driscoll, #7 on the walking map

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.

Golden Dream by Elizabeth Alexander, #8 on the walking map

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.

Swallowtail Chrysalis by Michelle Lougee, #9 on the walking map

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.

Heads or Tails by Christina Zwart, #10 on the walking map

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.

Chesterwood Chain by Marilu Swett, #11 on the walking map

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.

Trans-Situation by Mags Harries, #12 on the walking map

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.

Landmark I, II and III by Nancy Winship Miliken, #13 on the walking map

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.

Inside Home by Nora Valdez, #14 on the walking map

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.

Words and Leaves by Caroline Bagenal, #15 on the walking map

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!

Ancient Migration by Andy Moerlein, #16 on the walking map

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.

Barkmoore by Leslie Wilcox, #17 on the walking map

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.

Floating Flower by Andy Zimmermann, #18 on the walking map

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.

Madam President by Donna Dodson, #19 on the walking map

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.

Aspect I by David Lang, #20 on the walking map

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.

Biomorphic Connection by Niho Kozuru, #21 on the walking map

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.

Third Wind by Kim Bernard, #22 on the walking map

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.

Pollinate by Nancy Selvage, #23 on the walking map

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.

Fan Scepter by Sally Fine, #24 on the walking map

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).

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"