Saturday, March 5, 2016
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
So Much has Happened...
Life continuously surprises with its challenges, thank goodness! If everything was easy sailing I am sure I would be bored. So I will take the drama instead.
I have been hard at work and am so excited about new pieces and shows I am either in or preparing for. I have been making efforts to connect with my local art scene which is very strong. This is such a nice balance from the jewelry world which is quite far flung.
In September I had work in Newark, the beautiful Paul Robeson Main Gallery curated by Anonda Bell. I was also able to give an artist's talk to the Rutgers University students there.
The (Not So) Secret Life of Plants Main Gallery September 1 – December 17, 2015 Plants are the foundation on which most visible life on the planet exists. They are under stress, with diminishing natural environments and the very real possibility that many plants may become extinct even before humans are aware of their existence. This exhibition will explore the nature of plants and how humans interact with them, from the forest to the home. Includes the work of Thea Clark, John Edmark, Dana Fritz, Jim Jacobs, MingJer Kuo, Jessica Lagunas, Sam Metcalf, Lina Puerta, Lindsay M. Robbins, Linda Stillman, Adam Swart, Yeon Ji Yoo, and Rachel Yurkovich This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog with contributions by Anonda Bell, Caren King Choi, Peter J. Cohen, Naomi Sachs, and Peter Singer.
A piece from 2014 was shown Axial Bifurcation, taking on an a life of its own apart from the original installation (The Quick and the Deep) configuration.
Currently I have another sculpture from 2014 on view in "Guide ropes and Live Wires" the faculty art exhibition at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, documented in a wonderful catalog. Shelter (for the new disasters) cited in an alcove framed so nicely.
Tomorrow night I am showing 2 pieces, one from my solo installation The Quick and The Deep, another just completed especially for the show "Black, White and Green" curated by Katherine Murdock. My piece Holding Pattern (2014, below) is on the post card. From the press release:
On March 3, 2016 from 6-8pm, Morris Arts will host a free opening reception for the Gallery at 14 Maple’s fifteenth exhibit, entitled Black, White and Green. For this occasion, with guest curator Katherine Murdock, the Exhibition Committee of Morris Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation selected works by the following outstanding New Jersey artists, Pat Brentano (Westfield), Jose Camacho (Montclair), Kathy Cantwell (Maplewood), Thea Clark (Maplewood), Carol Nussbaum (Short Hills), Casey Ruble (Milford), Nancy Ori (Berkley Heights), Jessica Rohrer (Bloomfield), and Raymond Saá (Maplewood). Two outstanding artists from New York are also featured: Richard Bottwin (Brooklyn) and Riad Miah (New York).
Inspired by the biowall, the vertical garden of living plants within the exhibit space, Curator Murdock chose to focus the exhibit on plants and selected the title,Black, White and Green, to purposefully reflect that limited color palette as a means of unifying the exhibit. What is striking, however, is the richness and variety of the artists’ unique approaches to the theme – through their use of different media (collage, oil, cold wax painting, photography, charcoal drawings, wood sculpture, etc.), composition, and subtle gradations of color. As Murdock notes, “Casey Ruble’s paper collage illustrates a bundled bouquet of invasive plant species and Kathy Cantwell’s oil and cold wax on panel explores green color fields that resemble landscape. Richard Bottwin uses plant material as a medium and highlights the wood grain with stain and paint.” Pat Brentano combines cut paper and acrylic on canvas to highlight subtleties within the spectrum of green while Thea Clark, in essence, “creates” plant life with artificial turf, acrylic textile, cotton thread, wood and foam. Jose Camacho’s work focuses on the abstract, ghostly images of possible plant life in his black and white oils on paper. Similarly, stark black and white is used to highlight Nature’s geometric precision in Carol Nussbaum’s striking flower mandala photos. Riad Miah’s use of electric green and geometric units suggests plant life on a cellular level while Nancy Ori’s photographs cut to the essence of botanical forms, revealing hidden structures. Jessica Rohrer’s gouache captures the green fluidity and grace of a hosta plant while the dramatic and intense charcoal drawings of Raymond Saá suggest the explosive release of energy of segmented structures that seem to collapse, yet still bristle with vitality.
More shows and images to come both sculpture and jewelry. One of an artist's great pleasures is when our support systems of curators and gallery owners support new work. Their feedback is so valuable from the isolation of the studio.
I have been hard at work and am so excited about new pieces and shows I am either in or preparing for. I have been making efforts to connect with my local art scene which is very strong. This is such a nice balance from the jewelry world which is quite far flung.
In September I had work in Newark, the beautiful Paul Robeson Main Gallery curated by Anonda Bell. I was also able to give an artist's talk to the Rutgers University students there.
The (Not So) Secret Life of Plants Main Gallery September 1 – December 17, 2015 Plants are the foundation on which most visible life on the planet exists. They are under stress, with diminishing natural environments and the very real possibility that many plants may become extinct even before humans are aware of their existence. This exhibition will explore the nature of plants and how humans interact with them, from the forest to the home. Includes the work of Thea Clark, John Edmark, Dana Fritz, Jim Jacobs, MingJer Kuo, Jessica Lagunas, Sam Metcalf, Lina Puerta, Lindsay M. Robbins, Linda Stillman, Adam Swart, Yeon Ji Yoo, and Rachel Yurkovich This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog with contributions by Anonda Bell, Caren King Choi, Peter J. Cohen, Naomi Sachs, and Peter Singer.
A piece from 2014 was shown Axial Bifurcation, taking on an a life of its own apart from the original installation (The Quick and the Deep) configuration.
Tomorrow night I am showing 2 pieces, one from my solo installation The Quick and The Deep, another just completed especially for the show "Black, White and Green" curated by Katherine Murdock. My piece Holding Pattern (2014, below) is on the post card. From the press release:
Black, White and Green opens at Gallery at 14 Maple on March 3
Inspired by the biowall, the vertical garden of living plants within the exhibit space, Curator Murdock chose to focus the exhibit on plants and selected the title,Black, White and Green, to purposefully reflect that limited color palette as a means of unifying the exhibit. What is striking, however, is the richness and variety of the artists’ unique approaches to the theme – through their use of different media (collage, oil, cold wax painting, photography, charcoal drawings, wood sculpture, etc.), composition, and subtle gradations of color. As Murdock notes, “Casey Ruble’s paper collage illustrates a bundled bouquet of invasive plant species and Kathy Cantwell’s oil and cold wax on panel explores green color fields that resemble landscape. Richard Bottwin uses plant material as a medium and highlights the wood grain with stain and paint.” Pat Brentano combines cut paper and acrylic on canvas to highlight subtleties within the spectrum of green while Thea Clark, in essence, “creates” plant life with artificial turf, acrylic textile, cotton thread, wood and foam. Jose Camacho’s work focuses on the abstract, ghostly images of possible plant life in his black and white oils on paper. Similarly, stark black and white is used to highlight Nature’s geometric precision in Carol Nussbaum’s striking flower mandala photos. Riad Miah’s use of electric green and geometric units suggests plant life on a cellular level while Nancy Ori’s photographs cut to the essence of botanical forms, revealing hidden structures. Jessica Rohrer’s gouache captures the green fluidity and grace of a hosta plant while the dramatic and intense charcoal drawings of Raymond Saá suggest the explosive release of energy of segmented structures that seem to collapse, yet still bristle with vitality.
More shows and images to come both sculpture and jewelry. One of an artist's great pleasures is when our support systems of curators and gallery owners support new work. Their feedback is so valuable from the isolation of the studio.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
The (Not) So Secret Life of Plants
Upcoming Exhibiton
Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
Main Gallery
Sep 01 2015 - Dec 17 2015
The (Not So) Secret
Life of Plants
Opening reception Thursday, September 10, 5-7pm
Curated by Anonda Bell
Plants are the foundation on which most visible life on the planet exists. They are under stress, with diminishing natural environments and the very real possibility that many plants may become extinct even before humans are aware of their existence. This exhibition will explore the nature of plants and how humans interact with them, from the forest to the home.
Artists in this exhibition: Thea Clark, John Edmark, Dana Fritz, Jim Jacobs, Ming-Jer Kuo, Jessica Lagunas, Sam Metcalf, Lina Puerta, Lindsay M. Robbins, Martina Shenal, Linda Stillman, Adam Swart, Yeon Ji Yoo, Rachel Yurkovich.
- Jim Jacobs, “Splice”, from the series “Graft,” 2013, mulberry and maple, 30″x44″, courtesy of the artist
- Martina Shenal, “Suizenji Garden (jima), Kumamoto Prefecture,” 2012, archival pigment print, 24”x30”, courtesy of the artist
- Yeon Ji Yoo, “Exodus 1,” 2011, paper mache, wood, bottles, thread, plastic fauna, garbage bags, ink, glue, 52”x15”x38”, courtesy of the artist
For the Love of Fiber
As my work shifts between small scale and large, I find the fascination for fiber as a medium with its resonance of all things female, continues to be relevant. I first started exploring fiber through felting back in 2006, combining it with metal in jewelry work.
I am excited to have the chance to introduce this rich combination of materials and processes in September at the Touchstone School of Craft.
September 25–28
I am excited to have the chance to introduce this rich combination of materials and processes in September at the Touchstone School of Craft.
September 25–28
Metal and Felt Jewelry: Two- and Three-Dimensional Approaches
Thea Clark
Beginner–Intermediate* | $345
Class Time: Friday–Monday
Harness the dynamic beauty of opposites when you combine metal and felt into jewelry pieces. You will learn two-dimensional wet felting and three-dimensional needle felting techniques, making colorful and expressive designs and forms. You will incorporate these with fabricated metal by using tabs, rivets, armatures, and soldered wire forms. Many technical and creative tips will be shared. Participants will leave with a variety of completed pendants and earrings.
*Some soldering experience is helpful.
Thea Clark is a jeweler and artist who lives in New Jersey. She is a recipient of an Individual Artist fellowship, granted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 2012. Her work has appeared in numerous group shows nationally and internationally, including Multiple Exposures: Jewelry and Photography at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City and La Frontera at the Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City. In 2014, Thea was featured in a two-person show at the Houston Center for Contemporary Crafts and a solo exhibition of sculpture and installation at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. Her work can be seen in seven publications, including 500 Felted Objects, Showcase 500 Necklaces, and Push Jewelry. Thea held a 2013 artist residency at the Vermont Studio Center and spoke at Glassell School of Art (Texas) in 2014. Her work is in private collections in the United States and Japan.
For Registration information and to learn more about this uniques artist retreat for workshops follow the link
http://www.touchstonecrafts.org/Metals-&-Jewelry
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Of Two Minds
"Axial Bifurcation", 2015, from a recent proposal.
“Axial Bifurcation” describes having two heads.This title refers to how mankind is of two minds in our relationship to nature, either treasuring or trampling it. Utilizing wood planks which can be read as 3 dimensional map coordinates, or as aerial views of encroaching roadways. The asphalt shingles on these forms vie for territory on a constricted surface, limiting the space available for artificial turf grass and cyanotypes of branch imagery to spring from cracks, a simulacrum of nature in an urban landscape.
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