January 8 - Februrary 13, 2015

Opening Reception| Thursday, January 8, 2015
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Gallery Talk: 5:30pm - 6:00pm

ACCEPTED ARTISTS

Bud Adams

Devin Balara

Jeffrey Boshart

Mary-Ellen Campbell

Ellen Cantor

Christine Casten

Marilyn Casto

Kunyoung Chang

Eliana Cristancho

Emily Dvorin

Wyn Flo

Julie Gautier-Downes

Faith Hagenhofer

Chad Harmon

Sandra Jane Heard

Jason Kenning

Adam Long

Karen Luckett

Saberah Malik

Kimber Mallett

Brandon Minniear

Carol Sogard

Will Ursprung

Doerte Weber

Billy Wenner

Rachel Yurkovich

THE EXHIBITION

There are many ways to talk about our relationship with our environment. The Art of Our Consumption invites artists to participate in this discussion using repurposed, recycled, salvaged, found, or sustainable materials in their creations. Whether through media, process, or theme, artwork should speak to our relationship with and impact on our environment - what and how we consume, conserve, destroy, create, etc.

JUROR

Roscoe Wilson was born and raised in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. His environmental values were shaped in this mostly rural Mid-western setting. Growing up in this region enabled Roscoe to experience nature and discover an awareness that only a forest, lake, and field can offer. He went on to receive a B.A. (1997) from Wabash College in Indiana, a M.A. (1999) in Painting/Printmaking from Purdue University in West Lafayette Indiana, and a M.F.A (2002) from the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he furthered his interdisciplinary education by studying Printmaking, Sculptural Installation, and Painting. While at UW he was able to study the history of environmentalism and drew inspiration for his artwork from former Wisconsin residents and environmental pioneers like John Muir and Aldo Leopold. Roscoe is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Miami University Hamilton.  To view his work and for more information, visit roscoewilson.com.

JUROR'S STATEMENT

Materiality is crucial for the understanding of work related to the theme of consumption. This exhibition mirrors the manner in which we devour the world and ingest the objects and materials within our throw-away culture. Materials can speak volumes, just as a picture can speak a thousand words. Many of the artists in the exhibition chose to utilize found, discarded, and otherwise overlooked materials with a strong connection to sustainability, while others approached the theme by using imagery that connected with politics and narratives rather than a physicality.

The current temperament within our society is one of progress at our own expense. We are urged to buy more, spend more, and use more so we can collectively bolster our economy and consume our way out of a hole, out of a recession. There is a powerful wave of suggestion, driven by advertisements, media, and economic pressures that cause us to believe that we are merely consumers, defined by the act of consumption. It is my firm belief that we as artists should push back against this wave in any blatant or subversive manner that we are able.

In a world where critiquing the act of consumption can be easy and pessimistic, some of the works in the exhibition celebrate the beauty behind consuming, rather than the ugliness. They expose the hidden necessities of consumption in a more optimistic and sometimes humorous manner. Many of these pieces also challenge our preconceived notions of beauty. They draw you in, to push you away. 

Thank you to the Foundry Art Centre. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this important exhibition process.