With the increasing sophistication of technology, we have become more and more aware of the realities of what was once mysterious. We know what the inside of our bodies look like, it’s even possible to see an unborn baby in 3-dimensional form. We can know what our children will look like before they ever take their first breath. Yet, what remains to be revealed is their personality. How they will evolve spiritually and emotionally remains a mystery. Sculptor Christina Bothwell‘s figures illustrate for us the metamorphosis of our beings, our deliverance into who we are become.
In her cast glass sculptures, Bothwell incorporates figures within figures. We see smaller figures nestled into the glass, most often in the shape of a newborn.
Octopus, cast glass, raku clay and oil paint, 48x23x23
From the artist: “I think of these pieces as souls, each being pregnant with their own potential, giving birth to new, improved versions of themselves.”
Hair, cast glass, raku clay and oil paints, 10x31x8
As long as we are breathing, we are constantly evolving, hopefully into a better version of ourselves. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to know that at the end of your life, you had become your most strong, your most loving, your most compassionate, the very best version of you?
Centaur, cast glass, raku clay, oil and found objects, 21x21x11Phoenix, cast glass, raku fired clay, oil paints and wood, 33x60x21
Bothwell’s work shows us, not the end result, but the transformation. We see the adaptation and evolution of the spirit as translated into the material. To see more of Christina Bothwell’s work, please visit her website.
Featured image is Dawn, cast glass, ceramic, wood and oil paint, 38x10x7. All images are via the artist’s website.
Wow. Has another month really gone by already? It’s Art to Inspiration time again! This month’s inspiration, Echoes of Fragrant Voices by Jo Howe inspires me on so many levels. Her sculptures, created from book pages ( love level one- check! ) are full of beautiful shapes ( two- check! ), soft color ( three- check! ), rhythm ( four- check! ) and gorgeous texture ( that makes five- check! ). Just as with Pakayla Biehn’s work last month, Jo’s work inspired me to create a gallery of varied complementary works, each of which shares characteristics reminiscent of Jo’s work.
The inspiration:
Echoes of Fragrant Voices by Jo Howe
The gallery:
Pendant by Erik Gonzales, mixed media on panel, 60×60Half Hickory by Virginia PettyCore III by Joe Segal, wood and paint, 54×9Trophy by Brenda Mallory, cloth, wax, welded steel, 20x20x13Mercury by Karen Margolis, watercolor, gouache, graphie, thread on Abaca paper, 11×14Expansion by Haley Farthing, pastel on wood, 48×24Relic by Jay Heryet, box elder, 200mm diameter
Visit the artists’ websites, linked above, for more inspiration!
You can find more information on Art to Inspiration here and if you would like to participate in the next Art to Inspiration, just fill out this form! Follow me and all the other Art to Inspiration bloggers on Twitter by subscribing here. Let the inspiring begin!
All images are via the artists’ websites unless otherwise noted.
A gallery that takes advantage of a beautiful space, displays a wide range of interesting work in a well-designed and thoughtful way AND feels comfortable and unpretentious? These kind of galleries are my happy places. Foster/White Gallery in Seattle definitely qualifies for a spot on that list. Thanks to our time in Seattle being super limited and the tiny brain melt in which I somehow forgot that almost all galleries are closed on Monday, our only full day there and the day I’d planned to do lots of gallery hopping, I had to narrow down my galleries to visit to A) shows I really wanted to see and B) galleries that were close together. So we took a few hours before leaving on Tuesday to visit Greg Kucera Gallery, Grover Thurston Gallery ( more on that show next week ) and Foster/White Gallery, which was by far our favorite overall gallery experience.
Casey McGlynn: Manchild and Rachel Denny: Works of Nature at Foster/White
Foster/White has been on my list of galleries to visit for quite a while and when I saw that they were showing Rachel Denny’swork, it quickly went to the top of the list for our time in Seattle. But I’m one of those people that saves the best for last, so while I saw Rachel’s work out of the corner of my eye upon entering the space, there were so many other wonderful works around each corner that I made my way around the whole gallery before I spent some time with Rachel’s amazing sculptures.
Sculptures by Paul Vexler at Foster/White
Speaking of amazing sculptures, these bent wood pieces by Paul Vexler were exquisite. The way the grain of the wood caught the light from the window drew attention to those beautiful curves. As impressive as his work was ( and there is a large hanging piece in the F/W lobby that is to die for ), Cookie the elephant by Shay Church both delighted me and drew me in.
Cookie ( Asian Elephant ) by Shay Church
Cookie is part of Church’s Wet Clay series, site specific installations consisting of a wooden armatur covered with clay and sand. In this series, Church focuses on elephants and whales, gentle yet imposing creatures who must survive long migrations. With each passing year, those migrations grow more and more dangerous and daunting for these animals. Cookie leans into the wall for support, seeming to struggle to stand. As the clay has dried, it has begun to crack and fall, adding to the emotional impact of the piece. We are watching Cookie deteriorate before our eyes.
Bone Yard by Evan Blackwell at Foster/White GalleryBone Yard ( detail ) by Evan Blackwell
Another installation that caught our eye was Bone Yard by Evan Blackwell. The white clay pieces, pinned to the way may appear to be fragments of bone, but upon closer inspection, we see that they are actually broken pieces of model jets. Perhaps a commentary on our military policies? Or our desensitization to such destruction?
Staccato Surface by David Alexander
The abstract, colorful reflection of Staccato Surface by David Alexander had unbelievably lovely gestural movement and a gorgeous palette. Photos do not do it justice! Finally we made our way over to Rachel Denny’s work. I’ve been a huge fan of her work since the very first time I saw one of her Domestic Trophies online and have been looking forward to finally seeing her sculptures in person. I was blown away by just how intricately constructed they are, their palettes & construction perfectly designed to catch and direct the viewer’s eye. I was just as delighted by her work as I’d hoped to be.
Rachel Denny: Works of NatureSweet Tooth ( detail ) by Rachel Denny
To see more of each artist’s work and more of the amazing work on display, please visit the Foster/White Gallery website. If you’re in Seattle, Rachel Denny & Casey McGlynn’s current shows will be up until April 28, 2012. I highly recommend a visit!
Spring is finally here! This season always brings with it such a renewed sense of energy and love of life. While I’m enjoying a day of renewal of my own following our Seattle weekend, I hope you’ll enjoy the work of Anne Ten Donkelaar.
Flower Construction #3, 70x120x6.5cmFlower Construction #3 ( detail )Landkaart, wings are partly made from maps where the butterfly originated, 26x20x5.5cmFlower Construction #8, 70x120x6.5cmFlower Construction #8 ( detail )
Please visit Anne Ten Donkelaar’s website to see more of her beautiful work. Be back in full swing tomorrow!
Featuerd image is Flower Construction #3 ( detail ). All images are via the artist’s website.
Tell me ya’ll have at least seen the commercials for Food Network’sSweet Genius show. If you haven’t, you are missing out on some unintentional hilarity! Hubby and I can’t help but imitate host Ron Ben-Israel each time he utters the show’s tagline, “Are YOU a sweet genius?” in a heavily accented voice. With shows like Sweet Genius, Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss, there seems to be a quest for confection these days. How about a few sweet artistic treats to kick off your weekend? Enjoy!
Big Banana Split by Mary Ellen Johnson, oil on panel, 38×32Black Pool Rock by Joel Penkman, egg tempera on gesso board, 17.7×23.5Pink Confetti Cake by Peter Anton, mixed media, 40x51x40Coffee and Cake by Duane Keiser
This blogging world is chock full of creative and inspiring people. I am so excited to participate in the collaborative blogging project, Art to Inspiration! Art to Inspiration is a monthly collaborative blogging project in which bloggers around the world post how the same piece of artwork has inspired them on the first Wednesday of every month. So let’s get started!
I was pumped when I saw the artwork inspiration for April, 2 Years, 264 Days and This Morning by Pakayla Biehn, an artist whose work I love and recently featured!
2 Years, 264 Days and This Morning, oil on canvas, 26×18
In my gallery days, one of my absolute favorite tasks was to help curate, design and plan how the work was hung in the gallery. Laying work out, figuring out how pieces relate and the best way for them to work together visually. So for my first Art to Inspiration, it felt natural to curate my own gallery of work inspired by Biehn’s piece.
RIGHTTORETURN(DONAUDELTA) by Markus Linnebrink, c-print, epoxy resin on wood, 60×72Floral Study by Kristina Bailey, acrylic on canvas, 60×48 ( via Gregg Irby Fine Art )The Unending Amends We’ve Made ( Imperishable Wreath ) by Lauren Clay, Acrylic on cut paper,papier-mâché, wire, wood, 30x25x6Z.T. by Wil Jansen, oil on canvas, 40x30cmThe Things We Miss by Lissy LaricchiaEggplant by Michelle Armas, acrylic on canvas, 30×40 ( via Gregg Irby Fine Art )
Visit the artists’ websites, linked above, for more inspiration!
You can find more information on Art to Inspiration here and if you would like to participate in the next Art to Inspiration, just fill out this form! Follow me and all the other Art to Inspiration bloggers on Twitter by subscribing here. Let the inspiring begin!
All images are via the artists’ websites unless otherwise noted.
Artsy Forager reader Kim Carney creates these fantastic folk art sculptures, Brantlers, using recycled wood, branches and various found objects. Such a fun take on “trophies”!
Yellow Moose Brantler
Check them all out on Kim’s website and let me know in the comments which one is your fave! I’m partial this guy.
Featured image is Painted Brushes Brantler. All images are via the artist’s website.
Hubby and I have been going through major winter cabin fever. Every weekend lately, it’s been either snowing or raining. We miss getting our hiking on and are ready to see some wildlife actually in the wild ( the diaorama at the local Cabellas doesn’t count ). There’s just something so magical about coming across creatures in the woods. Are you experiencing the itch to get outdoors and do some animal watching? Maybe these will help..
Guardian Lineage by Duy Huynh, acrylic on wood, 32×32Passage by Susan Hall, oil on panel, 43×51Yellow Stag by Rachel Denny, wool, polyurethane foam, wood, plastic & steel, 40x19x21Stout by Scott Belcastro, acrylic on panel, 20×20Bauxite Rose From Her Lifeless Sleep by Deedee Cheriel
Do you see it? Love how these very different works compliment each other! Read more about Karen Schepf’s work here and Tom Fruin’s workhereand on Design Boom.
Featured images is Light & Shadow Play, Kolonihavehus, photographed by Nuno Neto. Images are via the artists’ websites unless otherwise noted.
Isn’t it funny how seeing an object from our past will immediately take us back to a certain time and place? It seems that we have an innate sense of nostalgia within us, whether we relate our memories to a place, an object, a film, a piece of music. Ceramic artist Karen Shapiro, after working for years as a pastry chef, now creates raku concoctions of iconic products from long ago and what will soon be past.
Animal Crackers, raku, 14.5×8.5
Just looking through the images of her work, memories come flooding back. As a young girl, I used to love to buy Barnum’s Animal Cracker boxes. It was like a little purse with cookies inside?! What could be better?
Noxzema, raku, 10×10
As with any Pop Art, Shapiro puts her own spin on her recreated icons. These effigies are literally larger than life, as you can see in the Starbucks image ( below ), just as the cultural staples often come to symbolize not just a product, but an era. Her use of raku, an ancient process whose temperature change causes characteristic crazing or cracking, gives a nod to the temporal nature of the more contemporary icons.
Starbucks Coffee, raku, 10×14Prozac, raku, 15×4.5
I’m quickly coming to an age where the pop culture and products that populated my past are reaching iconographic status. It does make me wonder how future generations will look back on us and all that we have consumed. Will it be with disdain or idyllic fascination?
Campbell’s Soup, raku, 8.5×15
To see more of Karen Shapiro’s work, please visit her website.
This artist found via Daily Dolan Geiman.
PS– I still occasionally treat myself to a box of animal crackers!
Featured image is Chiclets ( wall piece ), raku, 25x11x1.75. All images are via the artist’s website.
