wood stone poem
Meditations on The Natural by Andy Moerlein
May 5 – June 6, 2021
Featuring: Guest Artists JooLee Kang, Wen-hao Tien, and Mary Graham
Private VIP event/reception: Wednesday May 5th 5p-7p
First Friday opening May 7th 5p-8p & June 4th 5p-8p
Special events (WILL BE RECORDED AND POSTED):
The Art of Bonsai -- Bonsai in Art. May 5, 5 pm
Sijo Contest Poetry Reading. May 15th, 3pm
The Significance of Stone. May 27th, 7pm
The Philosophy and Practice of Cultivation. June 3rd, 8 pm
Lunge, 2021. 17”h x 5” x 13”. Scorched red oak, sandblasted and dyed laminated plywood.
Pale Wave, 2020. 17”h x 5” x 13”. Beechwood on scorched red oak.
Object, 2021. 20”h x 10” x 13”. Spalted pearwood, black walnut, maple limbs.
Unexpected, 2021. 16”h x 6” x 12”. Red oak and flamed paint, scorched red oak.
Gust, 2021. 13”h x 12” x 20”. Dyed laminated plywood on beechwood limb.
Passage, 2021. 9”h x 3” x 7”. Dyed elmwood on scorched red oak.
Complex 2021. 23”h x 11” x 26” (supine)
Complex 2021. 29”h x 11” x 26” (standing pose) Locust on red oak
Lapis 2021. 36”h x 10” x 12”. Paper coated expanded polystyrene on plywood base.
A Boat for the Immortals 2021. 22”h x 12” x 14”. Locust – scorched and plain – on a plywood base.
Water Stone, 2021. 22” x 32”. Pastel, paint, ink on paper
Earth Stone, 2021. 22” x 32”. Pastel, paint, ink on paper.
Seeking Vein – Finding Heart 2021. 80”h x 29” x 26”. Spalted rock maple on plywood base.
Distilling the Essence of Stone. 2021. 10’h x 7’ x 14’. Mixed media.
Sentinel. 2021. 84”h x 17” x 32”. Mixed media on locust stump
Sentinel (w/perforations). 2021. 84”h x 17” x 32”. Mixed media on cherry
Elegy for the Earth. Will the trees forgive us? Will the stones care? 2021. 6’h x 6’ x 7’. Mixed Media
Ink Drawings and Watercolor
Entangle, 2021. 9” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Contortion, 2021. 9” x 12”. Ink and watercolor
Weighted, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Unweighted, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Lean, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor collage.
Islands, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Float, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Buoyant, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Flow, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Primordial, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor.
Fantastic, 2021. 10” x 11”. Ink and watercolor
Guest Artists
The ambition behind my inviting Guest Artists to participate in this show was to provide context to the work I presented. Each of these artists bring a unique perspective. Their generous participation made the show more intriguing and brought new insights to all our work.
Mary Graham
Stone Waves 2021. 24" x 36”, oil on linen mounted on panel.
“I paint the seethe and stillness of wild, unhuman life, the incessant transformation of what ancient Ch’an poets called “the ten thousand things.” And in that regard my work honors presence and absence at once, as a sort of double-fidelity.
A painting comes into being as an unfolding from within, and is both anchored and sustained by an emotional connection to a sense of space from which images emerge. Plainly manifest in this painting is the bit of ledge buttressed by krummholz spruce, but equally “there” are mighty mountains shrouded by mist and cloud. “
JooLee Kang
Bonsai, document video, 2:57, 2021
Courtesy of the artist and Gallery NAGA
“I focus on change of ecological environment, transition of living organism, and evolution, created inevitably, to survive together. I interpret complicated interaction between human and nature in various perspectives; ask for understanding and consideration of our possibility and dignity through pen drawing and mixed installation. I aim to go beyond simply recreating the mainstream issues of the present day such as humanity’s rule over nature, taking a neutral view that comes from a broader perspective and exploring the close symbiotic relationship between humanity and nature.
‘Bonsai’ series focus on the issues of hybridization and transplantation of plants, advancing from the confrontation, conflict and the hybridization of humans, nature, and animal ecosystem. The hybridity in my works revealed my contemplation about expressing complex tendencies and double side of something that is beautiful and at the same time not beautiful, but has unexpectedness. The twisted shapes do not end just in forms but are projected into the aesthetic dimension of sociability as it extends to the embodied mind in the process of work. That is why the hybridized works of ‘Bonsai’ deal with small matters and minor things, anguish about powerless objects, and things that have value because they are rare, and unique even if distorted.”
Wen-hao Tien
Trance — to the soul of blue shirt, Mixed media on paper, 29”x24”
“Working from home during the pandemic, I was troubled by the blurry line between home-life and work-life. Piles of dirty laundry and fabric remnants left from face-mask-making intruded my studio. Making peace with the situation, I began to find them fascinating. They helped me accept a “new messy world within a messy old world", and reminded me of the Chinese Scholar Rock tradition for its rationale and creative expression. Trance is inspired by my muse who only wears blue.”
Michael Levin, Expert Bonsai Designer
Bonsai Tree loaned by Bonsai West Littleton MA
This Bonsai is an old Ficus Retusa imported originally from Taiwan. Taiwan is famous for their old refined Ficus bonsai and trees of this size are now impossible to import. It is a triple trunk (clump style), the side branches were perfectly grafted decades ago. This tree was originally started from a cutting in the 1960's.
Featured Poet
Min-jeong Kim is a South Korean Sijo master poet.
Her poems about her Suseok inspired a Sijo challenge. See this post.
「돌꽃, 진달래」 풍도, 8×13×6cm
돌꽃, 진달래
사월이 아니라도 꽃내음이 가득하다
한 아름 꽃술 아래 흐르는 별무더기
청록빛
줄기 사이로
지지 않는 봄 얼굴
Stone Blossoms, Azalea
Though it is not April yet,
the air is laden with their scent.
A cluster of stars glitter under an armful of stamens.
The spring face
still looks young and fresh, between bluish green stems.
Interpretive Musical Compositions
Original works by Faculty and Students
Berklee College of Music
In a unique collaboration between Boston Sculptors Gallery artist Andy Moerlein and Berklee College of Music faculty Joo Park PhD, student music compositions will be paired with sculptures by Mr. Moerlein and be played in accompaniment with the exhibition, wood stone poem, on view through June 6th at Boston Sculptors Gallery 486 Harrison Ave Boston.
Dr. Park proposed that her students study Moerlein’s art and write a composition that suited a particular piece. These original compositions can be privately enjoyed in the gallery. Park noted: “Creating our musical interpretations around the imagery in Andy Moerlein’s artworks has been an inspiring and profound experience for all of us.” Click to play:
[Lunge / Frühling] Piano - Nathania Pasila
[Unexpected / Salute To Oscar] Piano - Stephon Brown
[Gust / Aurora Substratum] Small Ensemble - Zachary Lamb
[Pale Wave / On Our Beloved Moment] 12 Strings - Geng Li
[Passages / Swallows Coming Back] Piano Trio - Baihui Chen
[Object / Crown of Thorns] Mezzo Soprano and Piano - Joo Park