Studios Without Walls “2020 See Change” Artists’ Statements
#1. “New England Mastodons” by Bob Shanahan (Steel rod, wire, alder, sumac)
Mastodons were common in New England, a fact not realized by folks. They probably grazed on what is now Boston Common. These animals are an outgrowth of my landscape work and working with children's gardens.
#2. “Turning Point” by Bette Ann Libby (Rusty barrel rings, paint)
Conceived in times of political confusion and an election year, but before the world health pandemic and the recent injustices came to light, my sculpture "Turning Point", was inspired by the theme "2020 See Change". Using repurposed material, I have created a visual metaphor for positive change. As the multi-color rings revolve, we wonder, but do not know which way things will evolve, but hope for the best. I found these 11 rings lying in the woods, having been discarded from rotted planters which previously held flowers, homegrown tomatoes and vegetables. The number 11 is linked to the Justice card in the tarot, symbolizing balance, decision making and fairness. Let's hope we will regrow and reemerge to have balance restored, through fairness and good decision making.
#3. “Stellar Legs” by Marnie Sinclair (Plastic (can’t be recycled), hardware cloth, wire, rope, buttons, and paint. Stella is collecting plastic trash for the can that she is straddling. Her skin is made of plastic and plastic detritus fills the body)
Stella, the Octopus, is the latest addition to my 12 year environmental art project that includes pieces and stories that speak to the natural balance in nature. Also, in this series are 2D and 3D pieces that feature environmental degradation resulting from an imbalance created by man’s influence on the natural world. The octopus is perfectly adapted to its environment and is a master of survival, from instant camouflage, to speedy propulsion and the ability to shoot nasty ink at predators. It is as smart as a house cat, with the ability to use tools and recognize faces. Its brain is distributed evenly in its eight arms/legs with the suckers used for sensitive touch. It has three hearts that pump blue blood to its organs and gills. It doesn’t have any bones in its body which allows it to compress into tiny places and escape harm. These extraordinary sea creatures are compromised like all others by the immense amount of plastic that is now found littering every water body on the planet. We must correct this imbalance.
#4. “The Endangered Six” by Delanie Wise (Ceramics with underglazes, glazes and fired to cone six)
There are 15 creatures in this sculpture. Six are endangered here in New England. Do you know which of these creatures are endangered?*
*Blue spotted Salamander. All are female!
*Eastern Box Turtles are slow crawlers, slow to mature and can live to be 100.
*Timber Rattlesnakes can sense heat with their eyes and sensing pits on their faces.
*The Barn Owl has long, broad wings enabling it to maneuver and turn abruptly.
*The Water Shrew traps air bubbles in its’ fur and that allows it to walk on water.
*The Blanding’s Turtle has a yellow neck, is very timid and a good swimmer.
#5. “Pi in the Sky” by Maria Ritz (Vinyl banners, latex & oil paint, steel rings & cables)
Poem by Wislawa Szymborska PI
“The admirable number pi:
Three point one four one
[…]
“The pageant of digits comprising the number pi doesn’t stop at the page’s edge.
It goes on across the table, through the air,
over a wall, a leaf, a bird’s nest, clouds, straight into the sky,
through all the bottomless, bloated heavens.”
#6. “Blinkah II” by Liz Helfer (broken windshield glass)
"Blinkah II" is the second iteration of an installation created in response to our casual destruction of life around us. The broken windshield glass is both mesmerizing and eerie; the animal silhouettes become ghostlike. The symbolic implications of industry contrasted against nature evoke the environmental narrative in my artwork. I "See Change" as an activist call to action.
#7. “Alien Fishery” by Julie Lupien Nussbaum (Insulation foam, resin, plastic toys, paint, fishing tackle and monofilament)
I draw inspiration from time spent with nature. Everywhere habitats are under threat from invasive species. In freshwater ponds and streams carp are some of the most destructive alien species. The ornamental goldfish Carassius auratus is the first recorded species introduced to New England waters. They were set free as early as the 17th century. The goal was to breed them for ornamental ponds. In the 18th century carp were released for use as human food. As bottom feeders these fish are disruptive to the native aquatic plants and native fish. By putting this school of fish in an alien environment I am hoping to bring attention to what is happening in their aquatic habitat.
#8. “Madness and Sense” by Grey Held (Paint on metal)
Emily Dickinson’s work includes a treasure trove of great eight-line poems that lend themselves perfectly to being translated into a visual/geometric motif that echoes/supports the syntactical repetition prevalent in the poem. In this visual reimagining of her poem “Much Madness Is Divinest Sense” I make pairs of opposites: sense-madness, assent-demur, sane-dangerous. The serpentine motif of this work takes you on the roller-coaster ride of how society often falsely equates sanity with conformity, though sometimes conforming is insane. This poem seems appropriate to the moment in time we live in. Continuing to conform to our old ways of inhabiting our planet, has proven dangerous. (If you need some help in figuring out the order in which to read the serpentine path---here’s a clue: much madness is divinest sense to a discerning eye, much sense the starkest madness….)
#9. “#gogreengoblue What will you do?” by Madeleine Lord (welded scrap steel)
This figure composed of found steel scrap is like a shepherd, gathering us to his fold, pointing to each of us with the question: what will you do to stabilize the foundering environment? Take a selfie with him, or at any location that illustrates your intention. Post to social media with a description of what you will do and use the hashtag
#gogreengoblue. Check in to see what others are posting.
#10. “Hanging In The Balance” Confronting the major dangers for the world by Gail Jerauld Bos (sonotubes, metal rings. handmade plastic models)
6 Hanging installations representing major threats to earth’s intricate ecosystem:
WAR: U.S forces deployed to 135 nations – perhaps divert military budget to a Peace Department
GLOBIAL INEQUALITY: transformative changes are required to give the world’s poor a fair chance
REFUGEES: 70.8 million people, forced from home, seek a safe place to live.
POLLUTION: our persistent use of fossil fuels damages air, water, and land.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Habitat destruction threatens earth’s amazing biodiversity.
CRIMES AGAINST MINORITIES: will I change?
Ignoring these dangers is proving catastrophic for ecosystems and for individual organisms that are intrinsic to survival: WE HANG IN THE BALANCE
#11. “A Tree Grows in Brookline” by Linda Hoffman, with painting by Holly Cyganiewicz (Tree Trunk, Curly Willow Branches, Acrylic Paint)
We decided to make an installation using a maple tree trunk I had in my studio. Halfway up the trunk, the tree developed a burl, an unusual growth where the tree develops a mass of wood caused by stress, a virus, or injury. This oak tree had faced a tremendous obstacle and recovered: it was a gift to me after a year of treatments for breast cancer. I hope "A Tree Grows in Brookline" with its new branches will offer hope as we recover from the global pandemic and begin to heal our nation’s long history of racial injustice. And let us remember, unseen, but inside the burl is a magnificent swirling of buds and wood.
#12. “Yet Another Sunrise. Tomorrow” by Allen M. Spivack (Painted steel)
Our universe is one miracle on top of another. We often take this daily precision for granted. As our world suffers from the ravages of climate change, we become more keenly aware of the fragile preciousness of planet Earth. We expect the sun to rise and its warmth to renew our day. We anticipate brilliant sunsets to end our day. And yet.
#13. “REWIND, REMEMBER” by Janet Kawada (VHS tapes and plastic slide holders)
In considering our forward movement into our next decade I have chosen to use materials that are no longer relevant and non-recyclable. We are more aware now than ever that what we choose moving forward will have a lasting impact on future generations. These materials, used to document personal memories, now have no life. Their information can no longer be retrieved. How will we remember?
Studios Without Walls
Studios Without Walls is a Brookline-based collaborative of sculptors and conceptual artists who produce art exhibitions in outdoor and public settings. Our purpose is to enhance audiences exposure to site-responsive sculpture & installations through hands on activities, artist led tours & an art treasure hunt.
We have been producing exhibitions together since 1998 originally at Allandale Farm in conjunction with Brookline Artists Open Studios. This is our 14th year at Olmsted’s Riverway Park. We emphasize creative dialogue with the community-at-large, continuing to investigate opportunities for public art and elevating public discourse on the arts. All members share and receive feedback and inspiration from one another throughout the year. We seek to project a full and lively presence, increasing public visibility of creative thinking at work.
You can help support Studios Without Walls return to the Riverway in 2021 with a tax deductible donation online at: www.studioswithoutwalls.org/donate or mail a contribution (check payable to Brookline Arts Center): Studios Without Walls, C/O Brookline Arts Center, 86 Monmouth Street, Brookline, MA 02446.