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Artifacts from a Possible Future
December 4, 2010
More About the Artists:
Brin Levinson
Joe Chasse
Jud Turner
Dick Libby
Sue Bolton
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For Immediate Release:
Artifacts from a Possible Future
RiverSea Gallery brings together five artists for an exhibition titled, Artifacts from a Possible Future, an invitational show where hints of history collide with envisioned tomorrows. There will be two events to celebrate this inventive and clever collection. On Saturday, December 4th, from 6 –8 pm, RiverSea Gallery invites all to attend First Night, a combination of show unveiling, artist talk and holiday party. And continuing the festivities, the gallery will be participating in Astoria's Second Saturday Artwalk, 5 – 8 pm, December 11th. The artwork will remain on display through January 4th.
Artifacts from a Possible Future includes the work of one painter and four sculpture/assemblage artists who each share a common interest in culture, the objects that define civilization, and societal detritus that may be treasured centuries hence. This exhibition explores the thread of continuation that connects us to history, and propels us into an undetermined future, both as a society and as individuals. Included are the paintings of Brin Levinson from Portland, Oregon; electrified sculpture by Joe Chasse from the Long Beach Peninsula, Washington, metal sculpture by Jud Turner of Eugene, Oregon; mixed media assemblage by Dick Libby of Seattle, Washington and antiquity assemblage from Sue Bolton of Overton Park, Kansas. All five artists are new to RiverSea Gallery.
Brin Levinson, a highly respected Portland artist, paints dream like imagery of future cityscapes overtaken by wild animals and vegetation. His urban fantasy paintings evoke a sense of familiarity, portraying places we all feel we have visited, but now upon return find eerily altered, lacking any hints of human occupancy. His surreal scenes leave a viewer wondering what has taken place. What led to this vacancy? Levinson states, “My current artwork is largely inspired by industrial areas, architecture and the strange beauty that I see all around. Nostalgia and dejà vu are underlying tones of my paintings. I attempt to create an atmosphere of calm after the storm, hope and re-birth.”
Joe Chasse creates elaborate inventions/machines/sculpture from reclaimed objects in his Long Beach peninsula studio, a tinkerer's paradise in an Airstream trailer. It is not uncommon for robotic creatures to emerge from old vacuum canisters, or for toy trucks to become housings for ray guns. Chasse considers his art as one part steampunk, one part science fiction with a healthy dose of funky fun thrown in for good measure. Many of Chasse’s sculptural forms have working parts, some even functional; a few require electricity in order to hum to life. His work comes from the old, but Chasse carefully puts the pieces together to gain a glimpse into the future. “Sometimes I imagine a future where humans have evolved into a race of small, very clever beings, who use much less and re-use much more of what was left after the resource wars of earlier centuries. The recycled junk piled on the shelves in my studio, may look like chaos to some, but in my mind’s eye, it could be materials for those imagined future humans. All that old stuff is new again.”
Jud Turner, a sculptor whose work is internationally collected, explores sustainability through his re-purposing of scrap metal into art. He creates fantastical sculpture from welded steel and reclaimed objects, and looks to the past to create work that “embraces opposites---the tension between humans and nature, the perils of balancing biology and technology, or the combination of ancient fossils with modern machinery.” Turner also finds inspiration in skeletal structure, both organic and architectural. Within each intricately composed sculpture lies a path, leading the viewer from a place of origin to a newly recognizable purpose. His use of symmetry and rhythmic pattern is combined with a sense of delicacy, despite the materials he utilizes, leaving the viewer with a profound sense of reverence.
Dick Libby, a long time Northwest favorite, offers a collection of his whimsical assemblages. Utilizing reclaimed materials collected from dumpsters, home renovation sites and wrecking yards, Libby selectively pieces together discarded artifacts to create narrations of visual appeal as well as literary interest. Each assemblage is accompanied by an imagined provenance, typewritten by the artist, and often involving some famous historical figure. For Libby, each artwork “involves various mysteries…what were the materials designed for, how did they acquire an appealing character?” For nearly three decades, Libby has been creating his tongue-in-cheek assemblages, enjoying a sense of discovery with each piece made. “In devoting my life to making artworks, I experience creative energies which amaze me, as if riding a mighty river to new horizons. It demonstrates life’s adventure and abundance.”
Sue Bolton finds herself collecting bits of castoffs and discarded antiquities as she travels across the country, and the Oregon coast is a favorite destination. Once home, these forgotten treasures morph into new forms, creations that become icons to a past civilization as viewed from a future time. There is nothing that cannot find a place within Bolton’s work: old, cloth-covered electrical wire becomes jewelry, Christmas lights become fireflies, and wood planes become totems. Bolton, a talented metal smith, also combines her own cast, hammered or carved elements into each piece, creating a fusion between old and new, reclaimed and the newly created.
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