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December Issue 2006
Spartanburg County Museum of Art in Spartanburg, SC, Features Works by Amy Goldstein-Rice and J. Boyd Saunders
The Spartanburg County Museum of Art in Spartanburg, SC, is presenting two exhibits including works by Amy Goldstein-Rice, on display in the Parson's Gallery through Dec. 31, 2006, and works by J. Boyd Saunders, on display in the Milliken Gallery through Jan. 7, 2007. The works of Goldstein-Rice and Saunders beckon viewers into worlds old and new through two and three dimensional media.
Amy Goldstein-Rice
Goldstein-Rice, a nationally recognized clay artist, takes a three dimensional approach to storytelling. Her well-known whimsical style launches from a combination of hand building and wheel thrown pottery techniques. Colorful, sculptural elements incorporated into the works draw viewers into stories of their own creation. The works are not just fun, but free the viewer to enjoy the works and the stories found within each.
"I can tell someone where my ideas come from, but it's much more fun for viewers to make their own stories by seeing themselves and their lives in each work," explains Goldstein-Rice.
Natural themes, such as water, seen in the work, The Swimmer, can be found in many pieces on display. But take the theme and add a pair of swimming goggles or an old fashioned swim cap and the memories of one's own swim adventures become the stories flowing through each viewer's mind. Allowing humor and irony to capture imaginations motivates Goldstein-Rice's efforts.
J. Boyd Saunders
Master printmaker J. Boyd Saunders takes a two dimensional approach to storytelling. Light and color are used to create a luminous glow, suggesting a third dimension inherent in each piece. To create the unique effect, Saunders exaggerates the contrast between the black ink and stark white paper then creates a volumetric illusion with glimpses of gray and color. The transparent colors seen in stained glass captured Saunder's attention early in life, qualities of which are reflected in several of the works on display.
The results of the combined techniques used by this master light illusionist are different atmospheres and moods that draw viewers into the world of each piece on display.
In piece Wednesday Afternoon, Saunders tells the story of the historic old South and takes us back to the time when shops closed at noon and life slowed to a crawl.
"Nothing was any deader than a Southern town on a hot steamy Wednesday afternoon," Saunders remembers.
But from that setting, stories unfold. Saunders' underlying theme to the exhibited works is that of a wanderer returning to a place he once knew.
"The story is not in my mind but it is there to be had. Through each work I have become the wanderer and create a visual poem," said Saunders.
The poem then becomes the stepping stones on the journey each viewer takes as he or she finds a personal story within the imagery of each work.
For further information check our SC Institutional
Gallery listings, call the Museum at 864/582-7616 or visit (www.spartanburgartmuseum.org).
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