ADRIAN ARLEO

NEIl fO RREST

OVIDIO C. GIBERGA

MARILYN LYSOHIR curato r 's statement

KEISUKE MIZUNO The ideafor this exhibition began severa l

AD ELAI DE PA UL years ago, inspired by my curiosity regard­

ing plant and animal imagery in historical CHRI SWEAVER architectural ornament. Images and

abstract ions from nature have been used

CARY ESSER , CURATOR for centur ies to create the shapes and

embellish the sur faces of art istic for ms.

To read the mea nings of these motifs, I

cary esser searc hed for their sources . An cien t

(amps is radican s 1999 embe llishme nts we re ofte n derived

32 5 x 19 5 x 1 25 from indi gen ou s plan ts and animals.

For example, repr esen tation s of the

Egyptian papyru s, the Grecia n acant hus, and the Indian lotu s were images that

carr ied sym bolic or visual sign ificance , As well, they p rovided a con nec tion, a

mediation , between the domestica ted shelter of the bui lt enviro nme nt , the cul­

cure , the soc ie ty, and the en igmatic, unpredi ctable aspec ts of natu re.

Disseminated , recycled , and reworked over centuri es and in various cultures and

continents, ancient motifs en tered the visual lexicon s of man y artistic traditi ons.

They gathe red new and altered cultura l meanings, and in many cases their mean­

ings we re consume d. Yet , regardless of a motif's specific sign ificance , plant and

animal images used for ritual, special, o r

serviceable objects became visual and FLORIDA CRAfTSMEN GALLERY S,- Petersburg. Flor id'

tactile refere nts co na ture .They provid ­ Sep tember 9 - Oc to ber 30. 1999

ed humans wi th the m eans to examine, H&R BLOCK ART SWE

reflect up on , and express their relation­ AT TH[ KAN SA SCITYART IN STITUH Kansas C iry, Missouri

March 3 - Apr il 22 ,2000 and by extension, the natural wo rld.

T hey still do. KARL ORERUP GAllERY Plymo uth Stat e Co llege

Plymo uth, New Hampshire

Jun e 9 - Aug ust 13. 200 0

sh ips to othe r kinds o f living bein gs,

FLORA FAUNA

>

o v i d i 0 Gi be r 9 a OvidioGib er1a spent hischild­hood in Wa shin~ton , DC, Madrid, and B010ta He earned an Associate

Arl! de1reefrom Miami Oade Community Colle1e in 198B, then spent five months learnin~ traditional marblecarvin~ lechniques in Pietrasanta,

Italy. In 1991. he received a8achelor of Sciencede1ree from Florida StateUniversity, and in 1996 an MfA in ceramics from the University of Florida. Giber1a was aresident arti sl and lechnician at the ArchieBray Foundation lor the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana, wherehe partici­

pated in many jloup and solo exhibitions, notably attheMyma loy Center. Hecurrently teachessculplure and ceramicsas an adjunct assi s­tant professor at the University 01 Flor ida in Gainesville and isactivein

his local community throu1h workshopsin thepublicschools.

ovidio c. ~iber~a

Mountain Goat with Head1ear 1991 $f O/'JeIW, f t> w illi l/1H'105plu ric.firil/g, metal

2 4 X 15 X 1S"

T his ex hibitio n explores current wo rks of

seven artists wh o continue to m ine a vast

array of natural motifs. Their visual state­

ment s are evidence of the age-old impul se

to represent and int erpret plants and ani­

mals, flora and fauna. Flor a and fauna are scient ific terms used co describ e, classify, and

order the animals and plant s of a given tim e peri od or region. These artists redefin e the

terms by inventing new for ms to explore the relationships between our co nte mpo rary

industrial wo rld, human cu lture, and the natu ral environme nt

keisuke mizuno forbidden fruit 1999

porcelain, s !azfJ china paint

3 x 10 X 6"

In these wo rks, we

see the creations of hybr id figur es that

combine animal and plant wi th hu man and

me chanica l anato mies, The hybrid form

<

K e i 5 U ke M i z uno Anative of lapan , Keisuke Mizuno is assistant professor of ceramics at St. Cloud University in St. Cloud, Minne sota. His work isshownextensive­ly aClossthe couniTy in 9rouP and solo exhibitions, and he is represented by the Frank Lloyd Gallery in Santa Monica and Ihe Dorothy WeissGallery in San frandsco. Mizuno earned a Bachelor of Science de9reefrom Indiana University in 1993, and an MfA from Arizona State UniveTlily in 1997- He also sludied ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute asaspecialstatus stu ­dent. Mizuno'ssculplures are in thecollections of the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of Arl and Ihe los Angeles County Museum ot Art.

marilyn Iysohir tattooed ladies: snake 1999

white 3('1I1pfll re clay. wu1erghlzej glllze

26 x12 x 8"

derives from heterogeneou s sources , me rg­

ing elem ents of different o r incon gruent

kind s. Hybrid is o riginally from th e Latin

wo rd for th e offspring of a tame sow and a

wild boar ; it mingles the ter r itories o f

dom esticity and w ildness, th e famili ar and

th e unknown, the seen and th e un seen , the

regul ated and th e lawl ess. Each o f these

arti sts uses the hybrid form to qu estion th e

place of humans in both the cultural and

natural realms.

Ovidio Giberga's big

game trophy heads are burdened wi th, and

see m stu n ne d by, the at tac h ment s o f

bizarre and absurd 'ortho do ntia ,The dental devices call atte ntion to the animals' teeth

as a reference to th e "an cient belief that tee th embo dy the streng th and vita lity of th e

bein g." By hybridizing for ms in an un expected and disturbing way, Giberga speaks to

th e " de bate over how mining, loggin g, poaching , and urb an encroachment are rnanip­

1\ ulatin g and tapp in g th e strength and vital­

ity of the wild erness," In these works,

MaT i I y n L y soh i T Marilyn lysohir's human int ervention - th at of the hunter , home baseis in Mosco'll. Idaho. she travels extensively to

th e taxid ermist, the dentist, and th e ar tist ­teach and to participate in artist residenties at centers such

as the lehn Midael Kohler Mil Centel in Sheboy~an, is un seen , but has left its mark .

Wistonsin, the Watershed Center in Newcastle. Maine . and the Keisuke Mizu no 's SPf Center in RodoYTe. Denmark. She has shown intemalional ·

highl y detailed , chi na- painte d frui ts appear Iy. and has completed severallal~e sculptulal inslallalions and public art projects. indudin~ two commissions lor the to be perfect and idealized from afar, but

state 01 Idaho and acollaboralion with the Pat Graney Dance change as the tin y sculpt ures come into Company in Seattle lor the performance titled J/eep lysohir is

closer range. Vora ciou s insec ts feed on represented by the Byron Cohen Gallery in Kansas City .

th ese luscious, delectable , bu t unfamiliar Missouri and the Dchi Gallery in Ketcham. Idaho. In addition to her involvemenll in the visual arls. Lysohir publishes and plant products. Emb edded in th e fruits ' co· edits the annual jOUinal Hiyh Ground: Art Noles from the flesh like deceased , inert seeds are tiny

Plateau and owns the CO'll~irl Chocolates [andy company. LysohiT eamed aBA Irom Ohio Northern University in 1971. and

an MfA from Washin~on State Universily in 1979.

Ad Tian ATie 0 Adrian Arleomid es in Lolo,Montana.Shehasreceived numerous honors, includin~

awardsfrom IneVir~inia A. Groot foundation in 1991 and '993, and aMonlana ArlsCouncil Individual Fellowsnip in human skulls and fetuses. A story is being

1995. Sneis represenled by Ihe Trinity Gallery in Allanta, the told, one which reverses the pecking o rder

Ferrin Gallery in New York City, andTheWorks Gallery in pniladelpnia. She nal lectU1ed and lau~nt extens ivelyin col· of an anthropocentric view of "nature 's"

le~es and univmitiesacross Ihe Unil ed Siaies and hal con­ catego ries. ducted numerous worksnops . Arleo ~raduated wiln honm

Th e restrained, anony­from Pilzer Coll e~e in 1981 with adoublemajor in Art and

mous female figures made by Marilyn AninFopolo~ . She earnedan MFA in ceramicslromthe Rhode Island School of De li~n in 1986. Lysoh ir are dressed in the 1940's clo thing

style of her mo ther's gene ratio n.The head­

less, armless figur es polit ely stand on bases

of dinosaur verte brae from the M esozoic Era. A pre- histo ric, geo logic age, this period

traversed hundreds ofmillennia, and was character ized by the develop ment and ex tinc­

tion of the dinosa urs, as well as by the appea rance of mos t flower ing plants, invert e­

brates, birds, and fishes of mod ern types. Images of these life forms, which have evolved

into the convent iona lized motifs of twenti eth-cen tur y tattoos, are incised int o the

dre ss/ bodies. Lysohir sugges ts the vast co nt inu um of known time and H omo sapiens'

sho rt life- span in the ongoing evolution of the animate wo rld.

For Adria n Arleo, " the word 'na ture' can be

expanded to refer to human nature, (our) psycho logical states, and 'charac ter' in a nar­

rative sense" Arlee 's hybrids are int erwoven elem en ts that establish ben evolent , emp a­

theti c bonds between plants, animals, and

humans. In Hatchlings, a fetal human/ bird adrian arleo Consider 1999 form eme rges from a seed pod or egg.

clay, mix ed media From ano the r view of the same piece, the

33·5 x 22· 5 x 13

egg form transforms its shape to appear as

th e new life' s unfolding wings. " T he

im ages are meant to be open to interpreta­

tion , allow ing each viewer to respond with

exper iences, feelings, or dreams from their

ow n life." In Arleo's works, hu mans are

reminded that they are an integral part of

nature. Her visual stories suggest that we

are part of a "primordial, greater - than­

human force" which can compel us to chris weaver

higher psychic realms. Wild Bild 1999 t/JIJile ll1me, brick, mixed media T he distort ed , dis­

38 x I7X " " me mbered bo dies of Adelaide Paul's ho rse

forms are often united wi th ru sted , found-metal parts. She lias chosen this for m as a

"stand-in for the (human) body" . Wh en these bodies are merged wi th metal scraps, as

in Prosthesis, they become new beings that are ambiguous, as-ye r-unconceived fru its,

organs, or med ical appara tus. R ichly textured , organ ic, and colorfu l glazes "act as an

aesthe tic co unterbalance " to these perverse hybrids.Th e pieces insinu ate that an arti­

ficial co ntrivance is not a satisfacto ry substitute for the connective tissue w hich bond s

h umankind with nature. N evertheless, Paul says, all creatures evolve, transmu te, and

change: we canno t kn ow the futur e of

our spec ies.

Neil Forrest grafts

images of insects int o planes of stratified

colo red clays, which in turn are set into

large, flat serving trays. His insect images 1\

are " filtered through the beauty of decora­ ch r i 5 We a v e r Chris Weaver is asculplor and tive language, but , in reality, insects are metal desi~nellivin~ in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. He has worked as o ften both ersome, even frightening, and amelalsmilh, an industrial poNer, ahislori cmonumenl censer­

vat or, an architectural ornament model- and nold-najer. and acertainly pe rceived as ugly." H e finds him­museum preparator. He has allo been avisilin~ instructor atsev'

self forming a new relationship to the nat­ eraluniversilies, intludin~ University of Nebraska, louisiana ural wo rld as he po rt rays it through deco­ State Univmity, and the University of New Mexico . Weaver

wOlked as aresident artist atthe lohn Michael Kohler Arl Centerration ." Its cont emplation demonstr ates the in Sheboy~an , Wisconlin , Ihe ArthieBray Foundation in Helena ,

proximity of beau ty to ugliness" O ur var­ Monlana, and at the Bemisfoundation in Omaha, Nebraska. ious readings and in terp retations of nature Weav er earned aBFA from the Kansal City Arllnstitute in 19B3

and, in 1988, an MfA hom New York State Colle~e of Ceramicsat Alfred Univelsity.

v

Ad e Iaid ePa u I Adelaide Paul spenl her childhood in Ethiopia and Hew lersey. Currently an assistant profmor of ceramics at TexasTech university in lubbock. Paul also work! extensively with the care and Irainin~ 01 animals. particularly do~ s and hor ses. He' work! have been exhibited in many juried and invitational shows at venues includin~ the Nancy Mar~olis Gallery in Portland.

are in con gruous. Cult ura l production Maine. the Shaw/Guido Gall ery in Pontiac. Michi~an , and

enables us to become aware of these con­ the till Street Gallery in Chica~o. She hasa1993 BfA, Summa Cum laude. from Hew York State Colle~e of Ceramics attradictions. Forrest seems to assert that we Alfred Universily and a1996 MfA in ceramics from louisiana

need culture, perh aps we created it , to bet­ Stale University. ter decipher and understand our relation­

ship to nature.

Fragment ed, discarded , and found elemen ts

from indu strial production and nature are assembl ed by C hrisWeaver to create diora­

mas and composite figures. In the human form of Birdwatcher, a mud dauber's nest

begets th e form of a bird and in turn a human sho ulde r, a tree trunk stands in for the

human trunk, and the shape of a shee t me tal appendage simultaneo usly references a

hand , a flame, a flower.Topped with a human head form, this compo und human body

is wove n of pans from plants and animals, sugges ting that we are all made from the

same fabric. Yet Weaver 's assemblages can also unsettl e, ambiguo usly placing animal

forms in the co ntex ts of human de tri tus and scientific observation.

W hat do we know of

flora and fauna - the an imals, and our

more distan t relatives, the plant s - and

w hat do they know of us?As a me mber of

the animal kingdom , yet the only extan t

species, sapiens, in our genus, H omo, adelaide paul comme/con sumer/con summate 1999 humans are solitary beings in our system of

wi/il l?SI(lI ICfVnre, glaze, copperfunnel, scientific classification.With one foot set in

clear (/Juf red 100 1 dip

culture, and the other in the anim al king­

dom , humans occupy an enigmatic place in neil forrest

the world. These artists probe the fmely Trivet: Trunk 1999 porcelain, Egypfiall Faience, morrar,groUt threaded but loosely woven gossamer con­

2 5 x 19 5 x ' 3 5 necting nature and cultu re.

By engag ing space

with clay, these art ists acknowledge a refer­

ence to the ear th's foundation , w hich suPPOrtS many life forms. Clay is a source from

which humans gain much of our eco no mic and physical survival. Malleable in its raw

state, clay responds to touch. When fired to a fluxing point, the glass-forming com­

pon ents of the ceramic mi nerals melt and create a hard, resistant record of the artist's

action. The texture and temperature of the art ist's handlin g and intent for a work's

shape and surface contain an expressive pot ential for the meaningful con ten t of a piece.

In the processing of the medium, as well as in its traditional forms of ritu al and serv­

ice such as pott ery and architecture, clay is

a material that can engage the body's tac­ /\

tile sense.Touchin g, like seeing and speak­ Ne i I For r e5 t Neil forrest limin Halifax, ing, is a sensibility, a tool these art ists use to Nova Icotia. where he is an motiate prolmor 01 ceramits

at the Nova Itotia Colle~e 01 Art and Desi~ . forrest hasexperience and exam ine their wo rld. exhibited his work and lectured on ceramics internationally,

- caTy esseT JULY 30 , 1999 most recently in Hon~ Kon~, Korea, and Texas. His recent solo shows have been held at the at Pewabic Poltery in Detroit, Ihe Ontario (ratts (ouncil. and the Hon~ Kon~ Polter'stuM fOrTest has been awarded rrants from the Ianada Council. the Nova Icotia Arts (ouncil and the New York Itate Arts (ouncil. He earned aBfA from Cranbrook Atademy 01 Art in IjSI and. in 19S4. an MfA from New York Itate (olle~e 01 Ceramics at Allred University.

Car y E5 5 e r lives in Kansas (ity, Millouri , where she is associate pro lessor and chair 01 the ceramits department at the Kansas City Art Institute. Ihe has completed several publicart commissions, includin~ ceramic reliel sculptures in the lecretary 01 State BUildin~ in Ralei~h.

North Carolina; Herila~e Park in Sanlord, North Carolina; and Ihe PaiAt Sranch Hi~h Ichool iA Burtonsville, Maryland. filer has worked as aresi­dent artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana. the lohn Michael Kohler Art (enter in Shebonan, Wisconsin, and the Watershed (enter in Newcastle, Maine. Ihe has presented many lectures and workshops at universities and arts centen in the United Itales, and is repTelented by the Iherry Leedy Gallery in Kansas City.

exh ibit ion checklist

Adrian Arleo 1.010, Monrana

Co nsider 1999

",hilt ~ CII lpi IlTC day. mixed medi«

22 .5 x 33 .5 x 13"

Til , B ird~ Laver 19 96

while $WlplUre day. glaze, stain 17 .5 x 18 .5 x 15" aJll r(e~'r l!{ Trillity Gd l1er)~ At lanta, C A

H aUf,ling.< 1999

u,J, ite sculpture clay, po/l,mer c/ny, wire,

epoxJ' se t o f th ree , ea ch: 3 x 6 .5 x 3 .5" (Olfrf t!$y of TrillilY C nflery, A/ lama, CA

Neil Forrest HaliC" ,Nova Scotia T,ill e/: N avigafe 1999 porcelain, Egyptim,[aience, IHM((lf, grout 7 x 20 x 8"

T, j,'CI : Trl/nk 1999

porcelnill. EgyplitJIl[oieno, mortar, grom 2 .5 x 20 x 13 "

1i'i,'el: Pied J999 porcelain, Egyptian j ait /lfe, I'/lOrln " g rlm l

2 .5 x l 7 .5 x 5"

Ti';oet: Barge 1999

porcelain, Egyptinlljltlfl1(C!, 1/10"(1'. 8'01// 4 x 16 x 6. 5"

Ovid io C. Gibe rga Gainesville, Florida l\4 oll l/ l n;'1. C oat lVilh H('o d~nrJ 1997 stolleware ",it lt (/ l mo.~pl1frit ji riug, metal,

ltre(hnllf

24 ,,1 5 ,, 18"

!vIOlllJraill Li on whir R etractors 1997 s{oneware I.//i l." atmosphericfi ring. lIIewl,

urtt" aJJe 13 x 12 :<17 "

C o)'ott lvifh Rete1fl;OI1 Brace 1997 SLQIIWlfl r(' wi tl , dl",o5pheric; fi ring. IJIltal. ureJlull1(' 20 x 12 x 11 "

Boar with Ba,uling 1997 S(OlleWtJfl Ivi th tl lm()sp llt~ ric.fi r;rtg, //Iltal ,

rubber band 23 x 14 x 17 "

Marilyn Lysohir .Moscow, Idaho

Tattooed LAdies: S nnke 1999

",flile sculpture tla)~ "lldergJnze, glaze 2(, xI 2 ,, 8 "

T.llooed Ladies: Rose 1999

1II111',e $ntlplureday, ,,"derg/dze, glaze 25 x I2 ,,8 "

Tattooed Ladies: H ./l d 1999

Illh ire sculpture clay) /IIulerglaze,glaze

25,, 12 x8"

Tattooed Ladies: BIlle D ress with Lea/Jes

1999 white ,"lulptlffl' clay," l1dergl(1 zc, glau 25 x12 x 8 "

Bird Til es # 2, J, 4 1998 l ll/. ile tilt' clay} urtderg{azf}glau

e a c h: 12 ill . sq u are

"m",es y nfByro/l Cohen Gnl/elY <if C(ll1 f('JI'jX'rnry A n, Konsos Ci/}', Missouri

Keisuke Mizuno SI. C loud. Minnesota Forbidden FrIIlt 1999

potteloin, glaze, china paint

3 " 11 x 6 "

Forbidden Fruit 1999

porcelain, glaze, china pa in{

7 x 11 x 6"

Forbidde/l Fruit 1999

porcelain, glaZ'e, , ltilld paint 5 x 6 x 6"

Adela ide Paul Lubbock.Te xas cO/Lw melcoflsllluer!(a I1SU ,nmare 1999 lI'llite :> lllllellJnrC, glaze, copper.{r mud , d ear

and red fo ol dip 3 .5,, 11x 4"

Hom lVi'h Lid 1999

Ullt i ll stoneware,gl azl, lllsiers 5 .5 x 10 .5 x 2 .5 "

Prosth esis 1999

,vltiu $lallelVare, glnze. steet 3 x 9 x 10 "

S itlStay 1999

IJlll i lf: .-;!01U:IVnre, glaze 9.5x7 .5 x3"

Chris Weaver Pra ir ie G rove. Ark.ansas

Bi,.dwat,ber 1999

lfI!rilelVare. brirk, (£ 1II (' fl l ) mixed media

33 x 22 x 6"

W ild Bird 1999 'V}'i/lHmrl} brick, mixed /IIedia 38 x 17 " 11"

V.TlI/int 1999

while sCltlplure ddY. hrick, mixed media 38 x 11 x 17"

Cary Esse r Kan sas Ciry, Mi ssou ri

C n"' psis radicans 1999 car/hcllIuart:. terra sigillnln, glaze

3 2. 5 x 19.5 x 1.25 " lOl lflesy Sherry Leedy GnJlery, Kansas C ity, n4i,twfll'i

acknowled!ements

. Flora att(f Fauna fU(' S orgalJ­) J·z c:d by Florida Crcfume»

. ~ .. inc., 51. Pelt'rsbll'R} FloridtJ . ; SP01l5ff5 oj fire Flam and

• ........:..... • ' rt lfilla exhibit ion at Florida Craf tsmen: Diane Arthur and

jim Ca Ul(l fl, Seem and Beth NJoreiln /\lfnmti llg, Eric Lmg Peterson, S f. Pefersh'jrg Clny Compally. Ptorido C rtrJtsllleti programs nrc also spons ercd ill part by II'Ie Florida Department of Slate,

Division af Crt!lt/ml A:.Oairs tl/Tough the Fioridn A rts COII/uil. TI,e Pinello» COl/fay Commission II/rough the Pinelins Colinl y

Arts COI,.r,;I, Culll,ral Deueiopma u: Program, and the Ciry aJ 51. Pd t.rslmrg.

Al "tt: H&R BlockAT/sp(/{f. (,I the Kansas Ca y A rt lnstiuue the fx /, jbiJioll nlld brocluue are made possible by a gram from tlu: Missouri A rl5 Council, a sune agency, (/I1d geNero"s suppot!]mm Bunni and POll! Cnpake,.,nlld the Cop"ke" Fnmily FO Lrllrla(iol't,

Floroand Fauna /'//{f S (IIrtJled by Cary Esser,Associate Professorand CI,(,ir oj the Ceramics Department af the Kansn: Cit),

A r' Imtuute. The mrnlor g mllji l lJy ack" mul­edges: the artists; t\lJi(hd(' Tuegd, Executive Director cif Florida Cm/un/lu, lnc.; Suzarme Wi.'Hler, Director oj Florida Cr'!fls­me" Gallery; lire. 5Iq{f (/1 Florida Crnjislflen; Kathleen Collins} Presidens, Ihe Kansas City Arl Ins/illlie; Raecllell Smith, Direltor,

H&R Block A m pa" '" the K",,;O$ Cit y A rt IlJst;IIl/e.; Cnlherioe A/I"lidoll, Director of Exhibitions, Karl Oremp Gnller)'; S/I"')'H

O 'Nfara}A Siisfaul Prof e.ssor, the KtJllSflS Cir)' A rt brs1/,htle;j oJII1 Esse.; A$shtal"ll PtoJessaf,Wn..I?"e.r Co l1eg(~; and Mo Ditk e'/.i, be/Oiled CEO.

brod w re desij!u: ShflrYIl Q'Ma ra