Another Man’s Trash…. 2021
Another Man’s trash: Sustainability is slowly becoming a part of all aspects of our lives. From organic cotton tees, to reusable shopping totes, to hybrid cars; there are very few parts left untouched by the “green” market. Now, we are even seeing eco-consciousness in the works of artists. Although some creations make a statement about our impact on the world, others simply find beauty in these discarded objects and want to rescue it from its junkyard destiny.
Try to remember your first encounter with a plane magically soaring through the sky. This feeling of astonishment as most of us felt as a child, is encouraged through Ron van der Ende’s “Motor Memory” as he recreates the innocent spectacle that technology and industry once had. His new dimensional works at the OKOK gallery in Seattle, WA use salvaged wood to reestablish industrial icons.
Van der Ende’s work is long and intricate process that can last four to eight weeks once an image is selected. With salvaged wood, nails and glue as his medium, his detailed mosaics using the existing colors of the wood sliced into thin veneers are composed on a preliminary plywood form. Then more detail is given to wood shape, nail patterns and color gradations to create perspective. These pieces showcase man’s selfish desires in these nostalgic images so that they don’t remain forgotten.
In an opposite direction from a similar base point is Gregory Glynn ’s “Higher Ground” at the Catherine Person Gallery in Seattle, WA. Glynn transforms the organic nature of salvaged tress into modern forms in which its history is revealed through the transformations in its grain. Instead of leaving these trunks and branches to decompose and return to the soil, he discovers and exposes their inner beauty.
An initial idea of the outcome starts Glynn’s process but once the layers are unveiled, the piece begins to define itself. He carves, chisels, penetrates and even sews the body of wood to showcase the various potential that each encompasses. Sealed in beeswax, all but the handmade stand is natural. Ultimately, the simple, elegant forms which still transform as they play with light and shadows, try to reinstate our connection to nature and the world we live in.
OKOK Gallery
5107 Ballard Ave. N.W.
Seattle, WA 98107
“Motor Memory”
Through June 7th
Catherine Person Gallery
319 Third Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
“Higher Ground”
Through June 28th
Category: Contemporary Art
