Cheekwood Museum of Art Hosts ~ A Sculptural Exploration

Friday, 13 April 2007 23:15

NASHVILLE, TN – Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art is pleased to announce Material Terrain: A Sculptural Exploration of Landscape and Place, through June 17, 2007.  This a traveling exhibition featuring indoor and outdoor works of eleven artists who use diverse materials and techniques to tackle the uneasy balance between the natural and the constructed environment.  Each artist reveals an experience of nature through material objects.  One common theme is where do we draw the boundary between nature and fabrication?  Donald Lipski raises this issue in his Exquisite Corpse series.  He created what look like trees that bend to form loops and knots.

Other artists look more directly at patterns and forms in nature. Wendy Ross uses organic patterns picked from nature to design her outdoor sculptures.  By “weaving” steel, she mimics marine fossils and flowers on the surfaces of her sculptures.  Yet, since the artist uses industrial materials to create her works, this suggests a collision between nature and industry.

By employing richly symbolic objects and installations, the artists in Material Terrain reveal complex affiliations to the environment.  Through exposing what partnerships are forged, they allow us to consider the variety of ways in which we view ourselves in the context of nature.

 “This exhibition is particularly well suited to Cheekwood, home of the Carell Woodland sculpture trail, a unique attraction that showcases contemporary art from artists like James Turrell and Siah Armajani, all within a natural environment,” said Jack Becker, Ph.D, President/CEO of Cheekwood.  “We invite you to explore this exhibition throughout our Museum of Art and Botanical Garden.”

Cheekwood Museum inspires and educates by making art, horticulture and nature accessible to a diverse community.  Cheekwood is located at 1200 Forrest Park Drive in Nashville, 8 miles southwest of downtown Nashville.  Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For further information call 615-356-8000 or visit www.cheekwood.org