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other 2009 exhibits
John and Robin Gumaelius - New Works
March 5 - March 28, 2009
Pacini Lubel Gallery will exhibit the whimsical mixed media sculpture by husband and wife team, Robin and John Gumaelius from March 5 to March 28 in the East Gallery. New paintings by Sara Zin will be presented in the West Gallery.
John and Robin Gumaelius, in their inaugural exhibition will present a series of works that incorporates ceramic, wood and metal. The figurative works are all deeply connected to their natural environment - nature is the inspiration for their sculpture. John and Robin commune with their surroundings - speaking to birds is commonplace. Robin stated that "John practices (talking), and the birds seem to listen. They bob their heads looking at him with one eye and then the other. They do that to me too, though I'm too embarrassed to talk to them out loud. I stare at them as they pick the seeds out of my garden. They laugh, I think they can read my mind."
The relationship with their natural surrounding resonates throughout their work - ceramic figurative characters interact with light hearted and colorful images of birds. Found wood might represent the arm or perhaps the torso of a character - metal hats and wheels for legs might also be included. The metamorphosis of each character from clearly human to a logical extension of earthbound energy prevails. Whimsy, color, tactile and surface variations are all central elements of these sculptures.
The painted ceramic surfaces of the birds and figures tell stories. Stories can include "history, books, biking adventures, strangers viewed from afar, gardening notes" for example. These stories "jangle in our heads and come so freely to our fingers that when we see the pieces finished we are often delighted - - as if we are not their creators; they just come to talk with us for a while and then leave again". Just like the birds in their garden.
Sara Zin executes beautifully rendered, patch worked swaths of color paintings that explore the inner psyche of her subjects. Contemplative characters abound. Sara often details and investigates the underlying energy of her subjects by focusing on a portion of the person. A close up might delineate a portion of the face - which is analyzed and presented to the viewer from an unexpected perspective. The angle, proximity to viewer, variation of skin tones and the inner investigation of the subject's character all contribute to the strength of these paintings. Although there is a clear development of the subjects painted, the viewer is left wondering. Sara's paintings are deeply rooted in the wish to have a dialogue between the viewer and the paintings.
Sara states that "my work is an expression of my struggle with identity. My aim is to illustrate the process of contemplation needed to find one's true self. My paintings consist of a patchwork of colors and shapes that form the structure of the figure. I choose to paint this way to reflect structure of identity; the concept that we are formed by a patchwork of our experiences, passions thoughts and knowledge".
Sara is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Join us for the opening reception on Thursday, March 5th from 6 - 8PM. These exhibit runs from March 5th through March 28th.
John and Robin Gumaelius
Open Man Hiding
Stoneware, Glazes, Metal, Vine Maple, Kelp Root
26" x 12" x 5½"
to see more works from the Gumaelius exhibition
Sara Zin
Reflection IV
Oil on Canvas
32" x 24"
to see more works from the Zin exhibition
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© 2009 Pacini Lubel Gallery |
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