Building for Shadow Circus is quickly coming to an end. Although the exhibition at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art is not until September 28th, most of my building needs to be completed in the next two weeks in order to allow time to dry, fire, assemble the mixed media and document (photography). It is lucky I am not a last minute artist because this work needs a lot of lead time.
The good news is that I am able to start sharing some of the new collection starting with a trunk show at The Copper Fox on Saturday August 3rd. If you have the opportunity to take a trip to Leiper's Fork, TN (right outside Nashville) it is well worth it! The small town is filled with wonderful shops and galleries and outstanding restaurants. The Copper Fox is a special gallery concentrating on artisan work from around the United States that bridges both the fine art and fine craft worlds. Owned by David Fox, the gallery is located in a beautifully renovated house from the 1800s with exposed walls.
One of the pieces I will be bringing is entitled "Riveted." When I first went to talk to David about The Copper Fox and check out the construction I stayed in Nashville (for a Jack White concert, but that's another story). One of the places I wanted to check out was Antique Archeology from American Picker's fame. There I found a beautiful old riveter machine that I could not take my eyes off of. Of course, the term "riveter" immediately conjures images of Rosie the Riveter and the strength of women to get the job done. I was also drawn to the idea of being riveted or transfixed to what is before you.
The piece that emerged connects both of those ideas. Like a warrior from another world, the figure is riding a post-apocalyptic machine creature, boldly confronting the future. The wheels are a symbol I often use to indicate that she is firmly planted on the ground, facing the here and now. However, the expression of her face and hands indicate she is momentarily awed by what is ahead. Even as a warrior she can still feel the wonder of a possible future.
It seems only fitting that "Riveted" find its way back to where her journey started: at The Copper Fox. I look forward to sharing "Riveted" as well as other pieces of my new collection with everyone from 6-9 on Saturday, August 3rd.
