Greetings from Happy Valley!
We are pleased to present an exhibition of recent work by Allison Newsome, created in Beatrice Wood's studio. Post-Neolithic Figurines & The Anthropomorphic Vessel is inspired by Ojai's river canyons, orange groves, and mountain vistas combined with the artist's research into historical ceramics and her passion for sculpting with clay.
The exhibition will be presented November 9 - December 29, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, November 9th from 5 - 8 pm. I hope that you might attend the opening reception to meet the artist, or have the opportunity to view the exhibition before the end of the year. If not, we will be sharing the exhibition online.
Opening Reception:
The exhibition will be presented through December 29th.
"There has been a constant exploration of figurative work throughout history," Newsome says. "While the statuesque tropes seem outdated, the contextual application of figuration remains a viable image for contemporary art. My current work provides an avenue into figuration with embedded abstraction, and the opportunity to create new works inspired by ancient forms and vessels. The ceramic vocabulary sits squarely on the anthropomorphic descriptions of vessels having feet, lips, shoulders, as well as the fact that we work with a clay body."
Allison Newsome works in a distinctive style to create intricate ceramic and bronze sculptures that explore "the wilderness and garden as a state of mind." Her work addresses issues of the environment and human interaction as our landscape and human psyche have changed from the wilderness to the agrarian, into the industrial and post industrial. While the works explore fundamental, utilitarian, methods implemented on land and water, the content can easily be driven by the intention of the viewer.
The works investigate the legacy of the figure in clay, ceramics as expedited transport and commerce tool, and narrative traditions. Her palette ranges from earth tones to vibrant colors and texture plays an important role in her work. Newsome has found inspiration on her island home on Prudence Island, in the Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Often referred to as a "Plein Air Sculptor," she is often seen sketching with wet clay on site, outdoors. These sketches in clay are often left to return to the environment.
Watch Video of Allison Newsome at Work
Newsome's work has been collected and exhibited by the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, the Mobile Museum of Art, the Fuller Craft Museum, and the Newport Art Museum. She has been included in numerous international group exhibitions in China, France, and Mexico.
Newsome was the first artist-in-residence at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, exhibits regularly, and presents annual workshops. Her work at the Center and her international reputation are closely aligned. Ojai Harvest, a work she created for a 2008 exhibition at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, led to a commissioned work for a garden in Toulouse, France. While creating the bronze at the Strassacker Fonderie de Bronze, in Heimsbrun, France, the work so impressed visiting curator Donato Diez of the Society National Beaux Artes that he invited her to exhibit it at the Carrousel du Louvre in 2011.
Works from Post-Neolithic Figurines & The Anthropomorphic Vessel will likely find homes in private and museum collections and lead to other commissions. Don't miss this opportunity to view Allison Newsome's recent work, inspired by and exhibited in Ojai.
And it's not to late to register for her workshop later this week!
For more information click here.
What:
Allison Newsome:
Post-Neolithic Figurines & The Anthropomorphic Vessel
When:
Opening Reception, Saturday, November 9th, 5 - 8 pm.
Exhibition presented through December 29th.
Where:
The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai
8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Rd.
View map and driving directions
I appreciate your continued interest and support of the Center and hope to see you soon!
If you are unable to attend these events and workshops, we hope to see you soon and appreciate your continued interest and support of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts.
Kevin Wallace
Director, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts
& the Happy Valley Cultural Center
The Center is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 - 5 pm. Please call 805-646-3381 or email BeatriceWoodCenter@gmail.com for more information.
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Thank you!
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"We all have various gifts and discipline has been one of mine... possibly because I recognized early that I had a dreamy, unworldly way of looking at the world. Having a glimpse of actuality, I recognized the importance of discipline - discipline from the inner self, not imposed from the outside. Few things get accomplished without this willingness to be meticulous in work."
~ Beatrice Wood
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The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is Open to the Public
Fri, Sat, & Sun 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.
8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai, CA 93023
805.646.3381
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