Process and materiality are at the center of a new dual exhibition at the Silvermine Arts Center, curated by Deana Haggag and Ginevra Shay of The Contemporary Baltimore. The curators bring a perspective that highlights trends in the contemporary art scene as well as new explorations that transcend any "school" or particular region of the U.S.
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The exhibition runs from August 2 to September 14 with an opening reception on Saturday, August 2, 5-7 p.m.
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Haggag, The Contemporary's director, chose new work from the Silvermine Guild membership. Jocelyn Armstong's "Oozing Shadows," in hand-built terracotta with glaze and paint, and Bob Miranti's "Triad," with its ceramic stoneware that reveals itself in fabric-like folds and creases are two of the many highly-textured works from the Guild Show. Ginevra Shay built a companion exhibit of new work by Baltimore artists whose pieces she felt were in dialogue with the work of their Silvermine counterparts. Shay asked her artists to create new work specifically for this one-of-a-kind exhibit.
"Baltimore is a critically acclaimed city art scene with a do-it-yourself sensibility," says Silvermine Gallery Director Jeffrey Mueller, who sought out the curators from The Contemporary Baltimore. "Deana was especially interested in materiality, the physical presence of the works." For Mueller this translates to an ability on the part of the viewer to "see the artist's hand. You can see an in-tune-ness with the material. It is not a means to an end but integral to the work." Mueller emphasizes that the Guild show is multigenerational and includes new guild members as well as established members.
Artists included in the Guild show are—from Bronxville: Kyoshi Otsuka. East Haddam: Connie Pfeiffer. Decorah, Iowa: Joseph Madrigal. Madison: Shelby Head. Hastings-on-Hudson: Nancy Nikkal. Montclair, NJ: Michael Manning. New Canaan: June Ahrens and Marjorie Tomchuk. New Rochelle: Bob Miranti. New York City: Anka Pedvisocar. North Salem: Ashley Andrews. Woodbury: Diana Chamberlain. Redding: Margaret Roleke. Ridgefield: Deborah Weiss. Rowayton: Mindy Green. Sarasota, FL: Ellen Mason. Stratford: Bruce Dunbar. Weston: Roger Mudre. Westport: Jocelyn Braxton Armstrong and Judith Orseck Katz. Wilton: Nash Hyon.
commercially fabricated carpet paintings—underscores the freedom and vibrancy of the Baltimore scene. "This high degree of flexibility coupled with rigorous conceptual discourse are underlying factors that unify the artists in Baltimore, Contemporary Cross Section." The Baltimore artists featured include Seth Adelsberger, Daniel Conrad, Molly Colleen O'Connell, Wickerham and Lomax (FKA Duox), Alex Ebstein, Lisa Dillin, Andrew Laumann, Hermonie Only, D'Metrius Rice, Ryan Syrell, Kyle Tata, and David Ubias. Daniel Wickerham and Malcolm Lomax have created a body of work that turns on tropes of celebrity; they also explore objects that relate to labor. Under their former name, Duox, they were recently featured at the New Museum in Manhattan.
The Contemporary has no permanent collection and recently reopened with a redefined mission to expand the idea of the museum as an
"incubator that seeks to commission site-specific and subject-oriented projects." Their work is inspired by the principles that artists matter, collaboration is key, and audience is everywhere.
Silvermine Arts Center is located at 1037 Silvermine Road in New Canaan, www.silvermineart.org.