“There’s gold in them thar hills!” — a quote originally spoken by Georgia miner M. F. Stephenson, though ironically lifted by Mark Twain and attributed to his character Col. Mulberry Sellers in his 1892 novel, The American Claimant.
If you’re looking for a reason to flee the hot and humid dog days of this particular Soda City summer for some cool and cleansing mountain breezes, Jasper has a thought—Why not pack up the old wagon and head up to lovely Asheville to show support for some of Columbia’s finest 3D artists whose work is currently exhibited there?
At Blue Spiral Gallery, Clay Burnett and Lee Sipe are part of a group show of unique and innovative basket makers representing artists from throughout the country.
Of Staked Out: Contemporary Basketry, the gallery website says, “What can you make with sweetgrass, copper wire, clay, thread, paper, reed, pine needles, beeswax, cement and paint? A whole lotta baskets! The artists in Staked Out use traditional and non-traditional materials to create functional and sculptural masterpieces. Some artists stake out the form and weave though with the traditional methods of the Cherokee peoples; others build it up from clay or wood; while others use brightly colored thread and natural fibers to enhance decorative elements.”
Fertility by Clay Burnette
Clay Burnette from the gallery website:
“I coil pine needles with waxed linen thread. I begin the process by gathering fresh pine needles from longleaf pine trees that grow in the sandhills of South Carolina. The needles are colored with fabric dyes, acrylic paints and iridescent inks, then sewn into coils using various colors of waxed linen thread. My tools are simple: a large steel upholstery needle and a pair of sharp pointed scissors. When completed, each piece is preserved with a light coating of beeswax and signed with my initials. I use the basic basketmaking technique of coiling to create contemporary shapes that incorporate lots of patience, persistence, and imagination. Time is irrelevant whenever I am stitching. The exploration of color, pattern, texture and form keeps me focused on the moment, but always thinking of what is yet to come.”
Vessel No. 380 by Lee Sipe
Lee Sipe from the gallery website:
“My heritage helps me to appreciate the unusual beauty in the common, the simple and the ordinary as well as the beauty of form and detail. I use weaving, twining, hand building and coiling to transform pine needles, clay, reeds, copper wire and other materials into forms that capture my experiences. I value order, hard work, detail, the beauty and tranquility of nature, tradition, family and sharing with friends. I also place great value on innovation. I consistently strive to create works that incorporate these values and are totally new, fresh and unique.”
The show runs July 1 through August 24, 2022, in the Blue Spiral Lower-Level Gallery, 38 Biltmore Avenue.
Mandala CXXIII by Susan Lenz at the Grovewood Gallery
While in Asheville, one should always pay tribute to the work of Columbia’s own Susan Lenz who has been represented by the illustrious Grovewood Gallery for a decade or more. Lenz’s Stained Glass, In Box, and Found Object mandalas are items of high demand in the gallery, and, in fact, the artist is toiling away at present to provide the gallery with Lancet Windows which, once again, are in short supply.
Lenz writes on her website:
“I stitch both by hand and machine but also indulge a passion for book arts and unique, 3D found art objects. Altering found photos is an obsession. My work has appeared in national publications, numerous juried exhibitions, and at fine craft shows including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Smithsonian Craft Shows. I've been featured on art quilting television programs and on South Carolina Etv's Palmetto Scene. My work is in the permanent collection of the Textile Museum in Washington, DC and the McKissick Museum in South Carolina.”
Grovewood Gallery is adjacent to the Grovepark Inn at 111 Grovewood Road in Asheville.
An aside:
If you know of any other artists showing their work out in the hinterlands beyond the SC Midlands, please let Jasper know so we can help spread the word. Lord knows the spaces for our artists to show off the fruits of their labors are slim, which is a sad commentary on a state’s capitol city. So, until we have that problem collectively resolved, let’s put on our Deadhead hats and, as much as we can, follow our artists wherever they show!
-Cb