Jewelry and Sculpture Depict Themes of Nature, Utility, Humor, and Beauty
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Schick Gallery at Skidmore College presents “7 Metalsmiths at Work,” a wide-ranging exhibition ofjewelry and sculpture, March 31 through April 28.
An opening reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, with a gallery talk beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The craftsmanship of artists Lynn Batchelder, Andy Cooperman, Jennifer Crupi, Terry Lavin, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Chris Ramsay, and Lin Stanionis — who hail from as far as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Seattle to as near as New Paltz, New York — conveys underlying concepts that are both inventive and inspiring. Along with finished pieces, each of the seven artists will show process work — a selection of sketches, studies, or models — offering viewers a look at how their ideas begin and develop.
Jennifer Crupi makes wearable structures that place the hand in positions reminiscent of the gestures seen in classical and romantic art throughout the centuries. She sees her work as “another extreme tool for beauty,” not unlike corsets and other restrictive beauty aids.
Myra Mimlitsch-Gray’s art wittily transforms objects of daily use, such as pitchers and cups, resulting in sculpture that plays with ideas about utility and purpose. Lynn Batchelder makes work in both two and three dimensions and states that her jewelry is “rooted in the drawing process, translating the quality of the drawn line into metal.”
Lin Stanionis draws inspiration from nature, making ornate brooches that are both stunning and slightly threatening. Nature is also the subject of Chris Ramsay’s work. His mixed-media globes speak to both beauty and the loss of natural environments and species in our time.
Andy Cooperman occasionally slips sly humor into his elegant jewelry, while Terry Lavin’s objects speak tohis interest in a space where “machines are no longer derivative to their function, and tools assume a life of their own.” Lavin is a native of Saratoga Springs and now teaches at Southern Connecticut State University.
“7 Metalsmiths at Work” is curated by Skidmore Art Professor David Peterson, with Schick Gallery Director Rebecca Shepard and Assistant Director Trish Lyell.
Schick Gallery events are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday; and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Visit www.skidmore.edu/schick for updated information on related events.
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