Lanning Gallery to Show "Lost & Found" Unique Object Art

Written by Liz BoyKin Thursday, 27 January 2011 22:55

SEDONA, AZ - For its “1^st Friday Gallery Tour” reception on February 5th, 5-8 pm, Sedona’s Lanning Gallery celebrates art that begins not with a blank canvas, the usual ‘something from nothing’ one associates with artistic creation, but with art that represents ‘something from something else.’ Found object art can make potent statements about resurrection and reinvention and four of the gallery’s most individual artists make this process into, literally, a fine art.

“My finished works are not made of precious materials,” artist Elizabeth Frank points out, “yet I still feel a bit like one of the ancient alchemists whose quest it was to turn lead into gold.” For Frank that involves a yearly pilgrimage into the mountains to forage for downed aspen, and regular scouting trips to flea markets and junk shops - even urban scrap piles provide their own offerings. The disparate sculptures she creates, frequently angels, simultaneously poignant and absurd, showcase her powerful artist’s insight.

Filling countless drawers with long-gone electronics and any manner of additional odds and ends - rummaged for in countless swap-meets and elsewhere - gives Canadian artist Roger Wood innumerable choices as he creates the craziest clocks anyone is likely to find. His ripe, off-kilter imagination is always capped off with a signature feather affixed to each clock’s second-hand and, behind the scenes simple, modern workings keep the time.

Ancient farm equipment found in fields and at auction is as likely as anything to end up in one of artist Dixie Jewett’s monumental horses. These are horses with staggeringly accurate conformation. Painstaking work with forge, torch and welding rod define her skill and smaller horses also showcase Jewett’s deft hand and vision.

Anne Embree constructs fine jewelry from salvaged silver and metal pieces.  Everything from coins to old silver crosses, Swarovski crystals to conchos, charms, silver spoons, keys, dog tags, and more make their way onto Embree’s dramatic necklaces.  “Most are old, broken and forgotten objects that had previous lives, and many are from other countries and cultures, inherently reminding us of past memories and feelings - and what we value and what we discard in our society.” 

Lanning Gallery, Hozho Center, 431 S.R. 179, Sedona, AZ.  928-282-6865 or www.lanninggallery.com.  Open daily: 10-6:00 Mon-Sat, 11-5 Sun.