Michael Webster, Set it down right here (Tri State Sculptors member)
PSSST
July 2 – August 6, 2021
Wilma W. Daniels Gallery
Wilmington, NC
The country may be divided, but in our new sculpture exhibition PSSST, members of Philadelphia Sculptors and Tri State Sculptors are coming together. In this collaborative exhibition at the Wilma W. Daniels Gallery in Wilmington, NC, July 2 through August 6, 2021, PS members will join their colleagues from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in an exuberant display of challenging artworks.
A public opening reception will take place on Friday, July 2 from 6 – 9 pm, with a second reception on Friday, July 23, part of Wilmington’s First Friday Gallery Nights.
Addressing themes ranging from nature to politics to technology and everything in between, the sculptors use their art to express their beliefs and reveal just enough of their identities to allow the viewer to clearly distinguish between the two groups – or not.
The first question sure to pop up is, “what makes northern art different from southern art?” But a better question might be, “is there actually a difference at all?” Attempting to confront those questions, PSSST whispers loudly, “draw your own conclusions!” What is clear is that the sculptors share a commitment to their art and to using art as a form of expression and communication.
Organizers Andi Steele, president of Tri State Sculptors, and Leslie Kaufman, president of Philadelphia Sculptors, planned the exhibition long before COVID, and agree that now is a perfect time for this exhibition. The show not only allows artists to share their work and viewpoints, but also provides an opportunity for the artists to physically connect and interact.
“This past year our society has been divided in many ways--socially, politically, and spatially. We need physical connection and interaction to be able to move forward,” said Steele.
Steve Donegan, Industrial Hub #2 (Philadelphia Sculptors member)
Frankie Flood, Rendered Utah Teapot (Tri State Sculptors member)
Since sculpture is a three-dimensional art form, the show has a physical presence that underscores the importance of the tangible. This is apparent in artworks that emphasize the handmade and craft side of sculpture. Some sculptures reach back to the past to provide a contemporary context. Patrick Cabry’s wooden Covid-Clock, handmade in an Early American Tall Clock style, juxtaposes materials and cross-disciplinary mediums to inject contemporaneous context into the artwork as it comments on different people’s experiences during the pandemic. Frankie Flood’s Rendered Utah Teapot, a 3-D printed bronze teapot, twists the concept of “handmade” around as it pays homage to the original cast iron kettle while acknowledging the achievements of new technology.
Other artists blend other concepts and forms. Steve Donegan’s copper sculpture Industrial Hub #2, creates a hybrid form referencing both the organic and the man-made, while Gina Michaels’ bronze Plantar Opuntia is an unsettling part human and part plant manifestation. Geoff Calabrese’s Face Jugs portrays functional ceramics while using a figurative sculptural format. Both Holly Smith (Wisenheimer) and Darla Jackson (Still has the power to bite…) use animal imagery to stand in for human emotion, but always with a bow to the absurd. Brittany Sondberg (Fin and Hitch and Hollow) works using mixed media and non-representational imagery but creates points of tension and bizarre connections as metaphors for psychological/emotional balance.
Darla Jackson, Still has the power to bite (Philadelphia Sculptors member)
Attila Mata, Date I (Philadelphia Sculptors member)
Artists from both parts of the country address the beauty and harmony of nature, along with the threats to it. The tradition of drawing attention to the female body is explored through a variety of lenses, while the need to reframe personal and cultural identity invigorates the art of a number of the artists. Overall, the artworks are both engaging and disquieting. As Darla Jackson states, “the end result is familiarity with an oddness that makes it compelling and leaves the viewer asking questions.”
Tri State artists participating in the show are Adam Adcock, Carl Billingsley, Geoff Calabrese, Mary Carlisle, Travis Donovan, Frankie Flood, Rachel Johanningsmeier, Saila Milja-Smyly, Austin Sheppard, Brittany Sondberg, Andi Steele, Virginia Tyler, Paul Vernon, Elizabeth Walton, Michael Webster, and Steve Zawistowski.
Philadelphia Sculptors artists in the show are Patrick Cabry, Steve Donegan, Charlie Emlen, t.a. hahn, Cheryl Harper, Darla Jackson, Monica Kane, Leslie Kaufman, Carole Loeffler, Virginia Maksymowicz, Emilio Maldonado, Attila Mata, Constance McBride, Gina Michaels, Holly Smith, Simone Spicer, Nina Valdera, and Erin Wheary.
The Wilma W. Daniels Gallery is located at 200 Hanover Street, in the first floor of the Hanover Parking Deck in downtown Wilmington. The Gallery is open Monday to Friday, noon-5 p.m.
Installation Photos
