FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2012
Bridgette Mayer Gallery
t: 215-413-8893 f: 215-413-2283
e: bmayer@bridgettemayergallery.com
Paul Oberst: Morphic Forms and Bronzes will be on view September 5 – 29, 2012,
with an opening reception Friday September 7, 6:00 – 8:30 PM.
The Bridgette Mayer Gallery is pleased to announce its third solo exhibition of work by artist Paul Oberst. Morphic Forms and Bronzes will be on view from September 5 – 29, 2012, with an opening reception First Friday, September 7th, from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. The exhibition will feature approximately eighteen new sculptures and a special installation in the North gallery utilizing banded strips of wood to create an architectural environment.
Paul Oberst's interest in our ever changing natural and societal environments translates directly to his current body of work. Blankets made of steel wire or copper wire shift with every installation, bronze hearts and bars have varying patinas that change slightly over time, and his banded architectural elements are designed to assemble in an endless variety of configurations. When looking at his current body of work, one is reminded of the notion that all things are changing, as the artist states, “Everything is in flux. Nothing remains forever unchanged. I have chosen to utilize materials that are by their very nature changeable and wear/change with time. It is my feeling that art registers history and that it too becomes worn, especially with usage.”
Without question, Oberst's work remains within the realm of the spiritual. His wire blankets are also meant to read as maps, leading the viewer on a visual and spiritual journey, while his banded objects act as “supports for the travelling soul.” For decades, Oberst has sought inspiration from the indigenous cultures of the American Southwest, and Central and South America. Recent work such as Puff Posse and Inclination pay homage to such interest by employing the use of black and white banding as well as mapmaking. A motif often seen in Oberst’s work, the black and white banding calls upon indigenous trickster and clown “gods” seen throughout the world. In his own words, Oberst writes, “the idea behind this work too is to manifest objects that are both art and metaphysical devises and guides for moving through consciousness.”
Paul Oberst received his BFA from Center College in Kentucky in 1977 and was awarded a residency Fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center (Provincetown, MA) in 1982-83. Recent solo shows include: Center for Maine Contemporary Art, (Rockport, ME), Corey Daniels Gallery, (Wells, ME), Perimeter Gallery (Belfast, ME), AEGON Gallery / Jones Visual Arts Center, (Danville, KY), Waterfall Arts Center (Belfast, ME), and Stux Gallery (New York, NY & Boston, MA), among others. Paul Oberst lives, works and teaches in Belfast, ME. Oberst has works in numerous private, museum and corporate collections including: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA, The George Gund Foundation, Cleveland, OH, Glenmede Trust, New York, NY, Progressive Corporation, Mayfield Village, OH, The Fox School of Business at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH and The United States Department of State, Washington, DC.
Gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. & by appointment. For additional information please contact Bridgette Mayer at (p) 215-413-8893 (f) 215-413-2283
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