Jul
3
8:00pm
Artist talk with Ariel Bowman
By Ariel Bowman
đź“·
In this artist talk Ariel Bowman will share sources of inspiration, concepts, and process for her ceramic animal sculptures. Learn more about how art history, science, and the ceramic process come together to reconnect viewers with their sense of wonder.
This event is free and open to the public. Replay video will remain available to registered viewers.
Artist Statement:
I make sculptures of prehistoric animals that represent the wonder to be found in natural history. I am intrigued by animals that evolved with distinct features, such as unfamiliar tusks, strange elongated limbs, and unusual proportions. I use clay to bring these extinct creatures back to life, sculpting folds of flesh and filling their bellies with air.
Eighteenth century French decorative objects inspire my displays and elements of each sculpture. This time period represents the rise and inevitable fall of human civilizations, while the objects reflect the decadence and everyday escapism of the Rococo style. The picturesque aesthetic of the eighteenth century refers to a time when our relationship to nature was being expanded by scientific discoveries yet separated by the disappearance of wild places. The goal of my work is to change the way natural history is perceived, by combining the picturesque and rococo styles with prehistoric creatures.
My work uses reflective nostalgia and imaginative realism to present these extinct animals in the context of human history. The unexpected combination of such contrasting timelines questions reality and rekindles a childlike fascination with the animal world.
hosted by
AB
Ariel Bowman
share