South Shore Art Center: Forever & After

Thou know’st ‘tis common; all that lives must die,
Passing through nature to eternity. 
—William Shakespeare (Hamlet. 1.2.72–73)

 I recently visited an amazing art show at the South Shore Art Center’s Bancroft Gallery entitled Forever & After.  As the above quote selected by curator Bill Houser alludes to, the show’s themes revolve around the subjects of mortality, death, loss, mourning, monument, and commemoration.

“Sculpture has been used to commemorate and honor the dead since before the Egyptians built the pyramids, to ensure immortality for the spirits of those buried within. The essence of Forever & After is the exploration of the ubiquitous and prophetic themes of loss, commemoration, and belief in spirit with its uncertain evolution or transcendence, through the medium of contemporary sculpture.”

-Bill Houser, Curator

 I adore mixed media artwork and  this exhibit features pieces created with a wide variety of materials including reclaimed wood, doors, newspaper, and even a typewriter.  Here’s a peek at a few of the pieces from the show…

dear jeff by Virginia Fitzgerald

The piece that evoked the greatest emotional reaction in me was dear jeff.   Created out newspaper clippings and love letters from a loved one lost in 9/11, this collaged gown is deeply personal and heartbreaking.  Such an unimaginable loss.

A few more of my favorites…

torqued & tethered by Virginia Fitzgerald

The combination of a weathered door and an artfully wrapped piece of rawhide marries unlikely materials.  I see a gown…

Whether by Rosalind Driscoll

Day to Day – Bud by Gillian Christy

I learned the stones dangling from the bottom of the dress suggest the apparent drowning of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet…

Ophelia by Benjamin Cariens

Glass Ceiling by Sally Fine

Wing by Gillian Christy

Lincoln Beechey by Benjamin Cariens

With the use of such diverse materials and mediums, each of these sculptors has masterfully created work that celebrates the essence of loss, memorializes feelings of permanence, and explores the concept of afterlife and spiritual renewal. The colors, textures, and forms used in creating these pieces are a testament to each sculptor’s unique individual artistic expression, yet collectively within the context of this exhibit, this collection embodies the interconnectivity of all of us.

-Bill Houser, Curator

Forever & After addresses the acutely difficult matters of philosophy and theology, love and loss, in a thought-provoking and profoundly beautiful manner. The show runs through April 4th at the South Shore Art Center and it is not to be missed!

xo,

Pamela

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