"For me, the ordinary world of objects is rarely without a poem." Mardis Nenno
The quote might as well be attributed to both artists who, in this exhibition, are using ordinary objects in extraordinary ways.
For Nenno, a Spokane Falls Community College ceramics instructor and former resident of the Archie Bray, kitchen matches become building blocks and chairs can be made of wings. There is a balance of fragile and formidable--her objects are sturdily sculpted from clay and much more durable than they appear--in both the medium and the context. Like the body to which Nenno's "chairs" refer, they assert themselves while at the same time revealing their vulnerability.
Oosting uses objects in a transformative way, often wrapping, stitching and overlaying them with tape, paint or other materials. They refer to the body--stylized figures or objects held like an umbrella or worn like pants or gloves--and there is no doubt there is a specific metaphor Oosting is hinting at. Yet they are also universal, a part consciously separated from herself, objectified, entities unto themselves.
It is an unusual pairing of works yet well-suited to the recently expanded space in the gritty-yet-almost-fashionable Adams Street area gallery. Remember to check out the Trackside Studio and gallery next door for exceptional ceramics by Chris Kelsey and Mark Moore.
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