Closing Reception & Artist Talk

Hope to see you in the gallery!

Riverland's James Wegner Gallery

Natura Large Scale Format Print

Large Format Print

Soy & Corn Substrate on Acoustic Tile

www.baltix.com

Large Format Print

Soy & Corn Substrate on Acoustic Tile

www.baltix.com

NATURA

Public Artist Talk Wednesday November 28th, 2012 at 10:30 am 

James Wegner Gallery on the East Campus of Riverland Community College. Austin MN.

Free Food & Beverage Provided as part of the Closing Reception.

This exhibition was supported in cooperation with the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, Inc

through funding by the Minnesota State Legislature.

Natura Opens November 6th, 2012

Although the current James Wegner Gallery exhibit, "Natura", takes as its starting point the Minnesota prairie, artist Michael Grenier does not present us with simple or obvious representations of the landscape. Rather, the show is an innovative, multi- media exploration that attempts to bring forward the elemental around us, revealing relationships between nature's forms and powers, and demonstrating material correspondences between the show and it's subject. According to the artist, the forms, materials and imagery for "Natura" all derive from Southern Minnesota.


By using media such as charcoal (both the traditional artist variety used in evocative drawings, as well as burned chunks of firewood used in sculpture), and the application of digital photography to acoustic tilesmade from corn-based products, Grenier's work provokes thought about interconnectedness. For the artist, the prairie offers a place of contemplation and spiritual renewal, an experience he translates in distinct but complementary approaches within a single show that ranges from beeswax to neon.


"Natura" is open 9-4, Monday- Friday, from now until November 28. The artist will be discussing the show and it's meaning at a closing reception to be held at 10:30 a.m. on November 28 in the gallery. Refreshments will be served. Please join us!   

Natura Statement

Artist Statement

     The artistic merit of the project Natura is to create natural forms from natural materials. Natura’s forms, materials, and imagery are all derived from the spirit of the prairie of Southern Minnesota. The inspiration for this body of work is the essential qualities intrinsic to natural forms found within the prairie. Historically, Natura is connected with works of Wolfgang Laib, Frank Lloyd Wright, Lillian Colton, and Mel Chin.
     Forms of nature found in Southern Minnesota’s Prairie describe the physical materials, subject matter, and experience of Natura. The mystic and magic found in earth, plant life, living creatures, and landscapes comprises this new direction in art. Materials common to the prairie will be composed as images of nature. These physical materials will be clay, natural fibers, charcoal, wood, and beeswax. The subject matter is directly inspired by the prairie and will include; landscapes, animal forms, plant life, light, energy and sound.
     My aim of creating and sharing this creative body of work is to embrace, appreciate, and celebrate the beauty found in forms of the prairie. The goal of this exploration of visual forms, inspired by nature, is to develop, create, share, and to appreciate a new direction in art. The goal of sharing this artistic vision is to provide a shared visual experience that will educate and enhance community life through its exhibition as a dialogue of meaning. The forum to engage in this dialogue is at the newly remodeled Riverland Community College, James Wegner Art Gallery. Riverland is an institution of higher learning in Southern Minnesota, and it’s teaching gallery is ideal as a venue to educate, create a dialogue, and enrich the lives of those who live within the region.
Dr. Michael Grenier