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04-23-09
RUBBISH! Art and the Ecosystem
Artists Use Strong Materials to Make Strong Statements

A junkyard dog made from metal rebar, scrunched steel oil drums, a huge slab of cherry wood reaching nine feet into the air, whimsical mechanical contraptions, and bird nests perched on a tower of wooden pallets, are just a few of the beguiling pieces that make up RUBBISH! Art and the Ecosystem!.  

RUBBISH! opens to the public on Saturday, May 16 at The Arts Exchange, the headquarters of ArtsWestchester, in downtown White Plains. The exhibition will be on view through August 29^th. Gallery Hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 12-5 pm and by appointment. For more information, please call (914) 428-4220 x 273 or visit www.westarts.com.

For RUBBISH! Art and the Ecosystem, over 70 pieces from 20 Westchester artists will be displayed throughout ArtsWestchester’s sprawling Grand Banking Room, mezzanine, sculpture court and second floor gallery. On display will be several large-scale sculptures made from industrial and natural materials that utilize the spacious Banking Room.

The diverse media that make up the exhibition include everything from drawings and assemblages to installations and sculpture. What unites the distinct pieces is that all of the artists bring new life to found materials (including metal and wood) while making serious statements about personal connections they have to the natural environment and the impact we have on the earth.

Says ArtsWestchester Executive Director Janet T. Langsam, “Our environmental future will be shaped by the decisions (large and small) that we make every day. However, in order to make good decisions we need to be more conscious of our actions. These artists wake us up. They remind us that nature is precious, they chide us, they jolt us, they encourage us, they offer us a vision…and a compass for the future.”

RUBBISH! is the second in a series of three exhibitions ArtsWestchester is presenting sponsored by Swiss Re to coincide with the Quadricentennial (the 400^th Anniversary of the first exploration) of the Hudson River. The first exhibition (on view through May 10^th) entitled Hanging by a Thread examined the processes of textile art and its possibilities for recycled materials. An exhibition opening in September will creatively explore the problem of Global Warming.

RUBBISH! curator Julia Dixon, ArtsWestchester’s Exhibitions Coordinator, explained that many of the artists she gathered together for RUBBISH! use materials that might be seen by the side of the road. “There is a great deal of heavy scrap metal, industrial detritus, and old wood in the show,” says Dixon. “But the show isn’t only about materials…we chose artists who transform these materials into artworks that make bold statements about our natural environment and diminishing resources.  These artists find hope in storm felled trees; discover beauty in discarded steel; reminisce through driftwood and felt; and advocate for change with paper and sand. ”

For example, Loren Eiferman’s sculptures are constructed from tree limbs and branches which she has gathered from the forest floor. Says Eiferman, “I have been working within the theme of vases and vessels for the past four years to explore the many facets of the human condition as well as to focus our attention on the dwindling resources of our earth.”

Sculptor Robert Spinazzola believes “…it is the ongoing relationship of man’s relationship to nature which forms his self identity,” he says in reference to his steel animal sculptures. He often creates muscular animals that can be running, springing, or generally extending themselves. “My work begins with our earliest and closest bond, mother nature and mankind’s effect upon her.” 

According to Julia Dixon, visitors to RUBBISH! will also recognize that environmental issues cannot be addressed in isolation from other social and political issues. “As these artists question our relationship to our natural resources, many inevitably also examine ideas of urbanism, over-consumption, economics, sentimentality, and personal values,” she notes.  

Artist Steven Millar speaks to the inter-related nature of environmental and geographic issues in his piece “Look Out Mountain,” wherein he employs a found wooden table to depict an urban dystopia. Says Millar, “…in my pieces, minimal blocks simulate buildings and houses, and suburban home in particular emerges as a mirage of the Good Life, the forever unrealized, always imperfect American dream. My pieces ultimately reveal how we inhabit a space and a space inhabits us.”

As part of RUBBISH! Art and the Ecosystem, ArtsWestchester will be coordinating several related programs for adults and children, including “Meet the Artist” panels and artist-led workshops for families. For more information visit www.artswestcheser.org

RUBBISH! Arts and the Ecosystem Exhibiting Artists Include:
David Barnett, Hastings-on-Hudson
Sheila  Benedis, Hastings-on-Hudson
Gail Biederman, Croton-on-Hudson
Don Chapman, Scarsdale
Doc Dochtermann, Bedford
Loren Eiferman, Katonah

Jude Ferencz, White Plains
Shiela Hale, Katonah
Gregg Hill, Larchmont
Barbara Korman, Bronx

Al Landzberg, Yorktown Heights
Lanny Lasky, Yonkers
Dan Lehmeier, Cortlandt Manor
D. Dominick Lombardi, Valhalla
Susan Manspeizer, Pound Ridge
Steven Millar, Croton-on-Hudson

Wilfredo Morel, Peekskill

Chris Smith, Pelham
Robert Spinazzola, Hastings on Hudson
William Whalen, Croton-on-Hudson

ArtsWestchester is your connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State; its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts.  ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich Westchester: our grants help fund concerts, exhibitions and plays; we bring artists into schools and community centers; we advocate for the arts and build audiences through our marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into the Arts Exchange, a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community.

Doc Dochtermann (Bedford) “Muffled Melange,” recycled metal