LEAD INTO GOLD/Images of Alchemy in Contemporary Art

  Time And Again   2002
bone dust on black aluminum panel   39" x 27" x 3"
   

  “Time and Again” by Sarah Perry

          

What I understood the meaning of alchemy, the main theme of this exhibition, is that dealt with the phenomenon of transformation-not only of lead into gold but also of the human spirit. The artwork, “Time and Again”, represents the main idea of alchemy exactly. Artist, Sarah Perry, created a small galaxy as if the art piece were born naturally. This oval shaped artwork is a blackened aluminum panel covered with round acrylic medium, similar formed the Milky Way with thousands of tiny animal bone dusts both on its black surface and the inside of acrylic cover, and sealed tight perfectly. These methods affect the three-dimensional ｅxpression of universe, tremendously.

“Time and Again” means to me an endless eternal life, which displayed these tiny bone dusts reformed, as elements of the universe, just like the meaning of the title. The corpse or the carcass are dissolved and eroded into the soil, but their souls are released from their body, becoming free spirit, scattered into the air and returned back to the universe. The universe embraces their spirits giving rebirth to endless life. It is amazing that the artist can convey her powerful message, using animal bones, a unique method of her spiritual art world, the eternal life. I can imagine me, as one of the dust living in the immeasurable cosmos with free spirit from the world enjoying an eternal life, looking at this small art piece.

 

 

 

Adeloscope   1997
snake ribs, radio receiver, brass, copper, paint   10" x 9" x 14"

 

 “Night Migration” by Sarah Perry

Titled artwork is more influenced to my appreciation or understanding of the art piece. It makes me cling to the imagery and brings out my imagination, as if I’m the part of this artwork. I saw the artwork hanging from the ceiling, a little distance from the black wall, a white big circle tightened with twines where animal bones and other elements are putting together. When I looked at it, I couldn’t figure out what it means. But when I read the title, “Night Migration”, I stared to observe more closely and get into the art world where the whole environment was created by this art piece.

This mysterious white circle should convey the theme of alchemy that migrates at nighttime. The elements, animal ribs, lizard hands and human faces formed with bone putty, are screwed together nicely as if these were born that way. Something is going on without anyone noticing through the night, and then the one possible story hits me at that moment. New life was created from the corpse or the carcass by nature over night when no one seems to know how it was converted to this reformation. Each essential part, which symbolized the mysterious notation, is slowly connected together and become a rebirth creature in dark. When I come up to this story, I am able to follow each rib to white acrylic painted steel bar, round into the lizard hands and fall to the glued human faces, notice them real clearly from the black wall, just like the creatures migrate at night. Finally I understand the title, “Night Migration”, reflecting the theories of alchemy. Now I can imagine myself, as a part of this art piece, migrating with them with free spirit at night.

 

 

     

Lecture by Sarah Perry on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 in Art 104

 

           Sarah Perry is one of the artists whose artwork reflect alchemical spirit where represents the main theme of the exhibition. In her lecture, we are informed that her art elements were picked from the corpse, and her artwork convey the image of life to reborn into the universe. About her art theories, she believes that the entire substance magically transforms to its life. When creatures die, they are ready to gain back to their lives as new creatures, exploring to the star in galaxy.

           I infer from her artwork that she tries to show how she give new lives back to dead corpses, using her unique art methods which transformed dead flat tire to create Gorilla’s mussels or used born dust for creating whole universe. She implied her thoughts strongly through her artwork and said with curiosity, “Unknown nature tries to speak to us through some patterns, but we can’t recognize what it says, but it has its meaning itself.”

 

           

 

LEAD INTO GOLD/images of alchemy in contemporary art

Works by: Craig Antrim, Randall Von Bloomberg, Cindy Kolodziejski, Bianca Daalder, Sandra Elsdon-Vigon, Evona Lynae, Nancy Mozur, Sarah Perry, Rena Small, Harrison Storms, Larry Vigon, Mark Edward Wilson

 

The ancient practice of alchemy, precursor to modern chemistry, which thrived in Europe, especially during the Renaissance, dealt with the phenomenon of transformation-not only of lead into gold but also of the human spirit. Through their long hours in the laboratory, attempting to produce gold, alchemists discovered personal rebirth, while concurrently linking inner and outer realms.  The records of these experiments were often masked in mysterious notations and images. These arcane symbols came to be regarded as an indication of an underlying process in the human psyche. The process of alchemy provided a circuitous pathway which ultimately resulted in replacing old internal structures with new. This journey could also be reflected in what transpires in an artist’s studio. Though the experience of interacting with materials and experimenting with ideas, the artist forms an image and is simultaneously affected by this creative act. Failures and successes, which echo the alchemical cycles that create and destroy, form the way to the gold. El Camino College Art Gallery is proud to present the works of twelve artists whose works reflect alchemical spirit.

 

Craig Antrim presents vigorous acrylic abstraction in which alchemical symbols emerge from a swirling ground of pigment.

Randall Von Bloomberg employs visible transformation of the figure in emotionally charged oil cnavases.

The intense tableaux of Bianca Daalder depict dreamlike images in oil on panel. Additionally, Daalder presents intimate prints of alchemic vessels.

Sandra Elsdon-Vigon works in clay, creating small-scale mythological masks and figures.

Cindy Kolodziejski creates intricate and elegant alchemic vessels in glazed ceramic.

Evona Lynae utilizes both representational painting and delicate pencil drawing to depict an elaborate series of transformations.

Nancy Mozur paints personal visions of mystery and humor, utilizing gouache on paper.

Sarah Perry’s sculptures, made from found objects and animal bones, speak of the cycles of life, death and regeneration.

Rena Small creates giant Polaroid images of a classically draped female figure posed in relationship to the changing phases (colors) of the moon.

In the alchemical tradition, the figures of Harrison Storms emerge from long cycles of painting, drawing, scraping and sanding mixed media surfaces on wood panel.

The narrative journals of Larry Vigon unite verbalized dream recollection with symbolic painted image.

Mark Edward Wilson presents a combination of playful mixed media sculpture utilizing magic shop souvenirs and surreal collage.

 

 

  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

meav I silver sea

You Brought Me Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.netropolitan.org/perry/perry_main.html