September Issue 2001
Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, NC, Hosts Five Artists in Fall Exhibitions
Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, NC, has five artists' works featured this fall. Featured artists on view through Oct. 27 are: Bobby Wells, mixed media; Mary Dashiell, recent ceramic sculptures; Ward H. Nichols, paintings; and Ben Owen III, pottery. Also on view Sept. 3-30 are Lee Sipe's pine needle baskets.
Divining Heaven & Earth: A Series of Altarpieces, is the exhibition of mixed media works by Western North Carolina artist Bobby Wells. Wells uses polymer clay to construct unique tiles, which frame fantastic landscape compositions. The result is a border of pattern and color surrounding vistas produced in an uncommon media. In this series, the artist thoughtfully incorporates themes based on her own spiritual and meditative practices. Focusing on sacred "power spots," these works refer to a world where nature and divine being are one. Bobby Wells' exhibition takes place in Gallery 3 in the rear of the main floor of the gallery.
Mary Dashiell creates her work using a variety of techniques such as underglazes, slip-trailing, dotting and sgraffito. It's the combination of colors, textures and patterns that intrigue Dashiell. "The inspiration for my clay work comes from many places, such as my garden, books, textiles, and architectural decoration," the artist states.
Receiving her BA degree from Salem College, she furthered her studies in Italy, learning to make animal whistles from Italian potter Mario Scuro. Scuro's tradition of whistle-making has been passed down through the generations of his family.
Dashiell has taught at John C. Campbell Folk School (NC), Sawtooth Center for the Visual Arts (NC) and Reynolds Homestead (VA).
Blue Spiral 1 also presents an exhibition of recent paintings by photo-realist Ward H. Nichols. Paintings by Nichols are known for their incredible detail. In addition to the artist's signature pastoral landscapes, this current exhibition of recent works includes coastal scenes, still lifes, and architectural perspectives of rural buildings. Nichols has an amazing ability to translate his understanding of subtleties in light and form onto a canvas, resulting in highly realistic moments which border on the abstract.
Nichols' work can be found in the collection of several museums including Springfield Museum of Art (MA), El Paso Museum of Art (TX), Gutenberg Museum (Mainz, Germany), and the Russell Museum (Nottingham, England).
Tradition & Transition is a survey of work by Ben Owen III. Owen is a nationally recognized potter producing functional and decorative pieces with a contemporary flair. He specializes in wood fired stoneware, salt glazes and earthenware pottery. His signature glazes include vibrant reds, rich jade greens and traditional earth tones. In keeping with the legacy of his father and grandfather, Owen has included in this exhibition a rich variety of works, including forms of English and Asian influence, as well as the time honored simplicity of his forefathers' style.
Opening Sept.3rd and continuing through Sept. 30, Blue Spiral 1 will feature an exhibition of contemporary pine needle baskets by Lee Sipe. This presentation is part of the Showcase Gallery program, initiated in 1997, which highlights a different Southeastern artist every month. Beyond the gallery's regular hours, the exhibit will be open to the public for the final City Center Art Walk of the season on Friday, Sept. 7, from 5-8pm.
Sipe's sophisticated, patterned baskets and vessels are constructed from pine needles culled from the forest floor. Her designs are delicate and precise, combining beauty with function. Preferring natural materials, she utilizes traditional vegetable and plant dyes to color the raffia she uses as binding for her work. Her exhibition includes several pieces that incorporate ceramic bases, adding another dimension to the texture and form of the vessel. Sipe has won numerous awards for her baskets and her work is in the collection of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC.
For more information check our NC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 828/251-0202, or on the
web at (http://www.bluespiral1.com).
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