Animals have long been used by artists to express particular ideas and emotions. Their anthropomorphic qualities have been featured in storytelling in literature, theater, music, and the visual arts.
“Thinking with animals”, on view until March 5 at Cantonal art museum, is a huge show of more than 50 artists who mainly work with clay. The artists come from a “diverse representation of gender identity, culture, backgrounds and career stages”, and they all use animals as a “means of examining ideas that can be difficult to discuss or to be understood in any other form”.
It’s a powerhouse of a show with a number of incredibly talented performers.
Beth Cavener, in particular, has an innate ability to express ideas and emotions. His influence is strong and his work is admired and collected around the world.
Cavener’s “Shadow Partner” is a large-scale sculpture of a rabbit entwined with rope and presented on a steel stand. The bunny, which is white with gray tips on its legs, ears and tail, has a knowing, almost playful expression, and the thick black rope helps create movement and tension. One of the most distinctive elements of a cave sculpture is the surface treatment. Here the artist creates a richly textured element that enhances the already expressive and idealized depiction of an animal doing something playfully and evocatively.
Another highlight of the exhibition is “Snail Pile (green)” by Bethany Kroll. This work presents exactly what the title implies: a pile of snails with green shells. The pile forms a rounded mound and the body of each snail is depicted with a creamy color and bumpy texture.
The work evokes a visceral reaction – especially if you have any familiarity with gastropods. This perfectly crafted sculpture is stunning in its detail and slimy beauty despite being just a bunch of snails.
“Drop Down and Get Your Eagle On (Flap Your Wings)” is a 2019 sculpture by Georgian artist Sharon Norwood. The artwork features a bluish-black glazed bird meant to symbolize the American eagle atop a stack of gray Savannah bricks with the words “Black Lives Matter” written on the sides.
Savannah Gray Bricks are terracotta bricks that date back to the 1800s. They were shaped by hand by enslaved Africans imprisoned on the Hermitage Plantation. As the artist explains, “The work investigates our relationship with moonlighting and provides a space for collaboration, and deepens the conversation about our collective relationships to race and identity in America.”
This piece is beautiful in its subtle, strong and commanding nature. A brick can be seen as a metaphor for many aspects of society. This sculpture is like a monument to the fundamental structural problems that Americans face every day.
“Midnight” is a 2017 sculpture made of low-fired ceramic and melted feathers by St. Louis artist lindsay pichaske. It is a sculpted deer head covered in dark feathers and metallic greens and blues. Pichaske explains that she uses “the animal figure to explore empathy and sensitivity, and to challenge the perceived order and comfortable classifications of life.”
The room is slightly exotic because it is covered with feathers. It creates an immediate emotional reaction when seen. The animal is both beautiful, magical, sad and maybe even depressed as its eyes drop and move away as if it might feel some kind of shame at being stuck on a wall.
“Thinking with Animals” is a comprehensive exhibition that features many of the most important and influential artists making sculpture today. The works range from beautiful and refined to gritty and expressive. It’s a terrific exhibit, worthy of traveling to Guangzhou to see.
Anderson Turner is Director of Collections and Galleries at Kent State University School of Art. Contact him at haturner3@gmail.com.
Details
Exposure: “Thinking with animals” until March 5
Where: Canton Museum Art, 1001 Market Ave. NOT
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Day
More information: 330-453-7666 or https://www.cantonart.org/
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