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Mary Early's completed installation
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You see a complex simplicity … deceptively primordial at first glance, like the orderly disorder of nature. It can be a construction of hundreds of small cellular chambers, or a linier configuration of a few strips of wood.
Mary Early defines spaces – round spaces – the self-contained volume of an organism. She emulates primal natural forms – how plants grow in segmented and staggered patterns.
A work may require thousands of exacting handmade parts – lengths of balsa wood, cloth covering, glue and wax – and her process requires her to be meticulous, exquisitely involved with every step, every facet.
But even as segments are crafted alike, the forms begin to ripple and result in variations, like the living variations found in nature – the disciplined but irregular patterns we see around us. Mary uses beeswax as the finished coating on all her works to enhance the shape and unify the surface. A vibrant gold, it’s the “perfect color.”
Each creation consumes time in the same manner that the sculpture takes up space … one segment at a time. And each finished work leads to a new set of experiences and explorations … and the next. Each sculpture is a celebration of something a little different in space.
After receiving her bachelor’s in fine art – printmaking and sculpture – she returned to Washington for art-related jobs and has been making unique personal statements in her studio on Capitol Hill for the last eight years. She works days at Hemphill Fine Arts and loves to interact with other artists and keeps in touch with the art world through exhibits – which are an essential means to share her ideas.
The future? Mary Early will continue to build on the deceptive simplicity of natural forms and define the spaces that express the quiet dynamic of nature.
You can see her work at the US Botanic Garden sculpture show through Oct. 12 and at www.maryearly.com.
Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art
As a legislative assistant to a senator in the late ‘70s to early ‘80s, I would sometimes hide in the nearby botanic garden, searching for inspiration to draft amendments, statements and speeches. I found perfect isolation and quiet on a wooden bench in the corner of the big tropical forest room.
If I got a mental block, and there were many, I would sketch the tall, incredibly elegant palms, big leaf jungle plants and the wonderfully clever vines that exploited the loftier vegetation, becoming a model of determined social climbing (much like the political Hill) spurring a personal determination to not give up and go back to finishing the draft.
The botanic garden has been remodeled and, to an even greater extent, provides a science-based yet natural refuge from the insane demands of the day. I find that the endless variations of natural beauty, sounds of running water, and the excited voices of children urging attention to this flower or that, still provide a comfort level that gives birth to great ideas, wondrous thoughts about life and a bottomless bucket of wisdom. Or at least some peaceful, enjoyable moments if nothing else.
This summer, the conservatory gives us even more to think about: sculpture. (See: “Flora: Growing Inspirations”) These manmade objects provide an emotional and intellectual link between human and vegetative life forms.
The most successful art doesn’t seek to imitate nature, but uses the elegance, grace and style of everyday plants and flowers to open our senses to the beauty around us. The botanic garden sculpture show does this successfully.
At the Museums
‘Flora: Growing Inspirations’
US Botanic Garden
245 First St. SW
To Oct. 12
You have to love the botanic garden any time of the year. It’s nestled at the foot of the Capitol Building, on the west side. The established woody and leafy citizens, representing all the climate zones of the planet, are exquisitely presented without losing a naturalism that appears spontaneous. Thoughtful exhibits are added for those who crave information.
This summer, the principal creative program is a serious sculpture show – not garden decor. Cosponsored by the Washington Sculptors Group, each work was “juried” – selected by a panel of artists and USBG professionals. There is no single point of view or mindset. Each connects to the natural world, eliciting our intellectual involvement.
All 34 artists do a great job of providing visual “inspirations” in the broad sense of the word for a blending of nature and the nature of man. www.usbg.gov.
‘Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life’
National Gallery of Art, East Bldg.
Third Street & Constitution Avenue NW
To Aug. 23
It is hard to find anyone better at painting textures and surfaces than Luis Meléndez (1715-1780), often described as “The greatest still life painter of 18th-century Spain.” This exhibit of over 30 paintings also brings home the reality of painting as a business.
His big break was a commission from the Prince of Asturias (later King Charles IV) in 1771 to depict “the four Seasons of the Year … with the aim of composing an amusing cabinet with every species of food produced by the Spanish climate.” Perhaps it wasn’t amusing enough because it was eventually cancelled, but the royal interest had led to commissions with other patrons.
He kept a stock of props in his studio, which he used repeatedly in his paintings. They are mostly common kitchenware, such as ceramic jugs and wooden-handled utensils. To better illustrate his accuracy, the show includes nine examples of 18th-century kitchenware similar to those used by Meléndez as studio props.
Although his techniques were applied dispassionately from painting to painting, which becomes more obvious when grouped together, he infused his work with more than detail and dazzle-the-eye realism. He was a master of light and was inventive with themes related to Spanish customs and expectations.
Also of interest are the investigations by the National Gallery using available technologies to discover the original placements of objects on the canvas and the changes made in the final painting.
In fact, some of his still lifes were painted over dissimilar works. In one, the image we see covers a portrait of King Ferdinand VI. Apparently the portrait didn’t sell…so why waste a canvas?
Meléndez died in 1780, shortly after declaring himself a pauper, and sank into relative obscurity. He is finally getting some disserved attention. www.nga.gov.
At the Galleries
Judy Pfaff / Mingering Mike
Hemphill
1515 14th St. NW
To Aug. 15
In “New Prints,” Judy Pfaff, known for her installations, presents a series of multi-layered prints that utilize a range of materials and processes, including four from a series titled “Year of the Dog.”
Mingering Mike “has emerged as a cultural phenomenon,” developing a fan base on the Web. His “Prints & New Work” features archival pigment prints made from a selection of original and new record album covers. www.hemphillfinearts.com.
‘Seven Takes’
Touchstone Gallery
406 Seventh St. NW, Second Floor
July 8-Aug. 7
Seven new artist members of the Touchstone Gallery exhibit their work in a wide range of subjects, techniques and media. Charlie Dale, Anthony Dortch, Joshua F. Gomez, Leslie Johnston, Peter Karp, Newton More and Michelle Rogers present their personal viewpoints and approaches. Reception: July 10, 6-8:30 p.m. www.touchstonegallery.com.
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