Arts + Literature Laboratory Exhibits
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Arts + Literature Laboratory 111 S. Livingston St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
press release: Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL) is proud to present concurrent exhibitions by four artists from Milwaukee, WI. In Labs 1 & 2, Brianna Lynn Hernandez Baurichter presents Psychological Landscapes. In Lab 3, Rina Yoon and Marsha McDonald present On the Nature of Things. And in the library, Sonja Thomsen, whose installation in the space of elsewhere is currently on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, presents a selection of her artist books. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 9th from 7-9pm, and the exhibitions will be on view through September 30, 2017. Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-3pm. FREE
Additionally, a special reading and artist talk in response to On the Nature of Things will be held just before the opening reception on September 9, 2017, from 6-7pm. Regional authors Jeff Porter and Chuck Stebelton will join Marsha McDonald and Rina Yoon for this event. More information is available at https://www.facebook.com/event
On Saturday, September 16, 2017, from 2-4:30pm, Sonja Thomsen will lead a FREE artist talk and workshop. Thomsen will discuss the role of bookmaking in her installation practice and offer a workshop to participants who want feedback on their own artist books. Limited to 10 participants. RSVP by emailing hello@artlitlab.org. Participants should bring a work in progress or book dummy to share.
PSYCHOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES
Psychological Landscapes presents large-scale charcoal drawings and video works by Brianna Lynn Hernandez Baurichter which immerse the viewer in hallucinatory environments. With a background in the performing arts, Brianna's works rely heavily on the body to create momentum both physically and conceptually. Utilizing this bodily movement as a catalyst for thought, Brianna creates works which hybridize both imagined and recollected imagery. Her works range in their final forms yet each piece originates its inspiration from the structural elements of black and white drawing. Psychological Landscapes brings together several immersive elements of Brianna's practice to create a new and unique immersion at the Arts + Literature Laboratory.
Brianna is an artist and curator based in the Midwest. After circling Lake Michigan to pursue her BFA in Chicago and MFA in Grand Rapids, Brianna recently returned to Wisconsin. Brianna's studies have encompassed arts management, curating, community engagement, studio arts, art conservation, and studies abroad in Paris and Florence. Brianna currently works in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is an artist at Material Studios + Gallery in Milwaukee, WI.
ON THE NATURE OF THINGS
On The Nature of Things features artists Rina Yoon and Marsha McDonald, whose work examines humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
The title is a nod to a philosophy that has emerged across cultures, that we are all made of the same atoms, atoms that philosophy describes as infinite in scale and indivisible.
The philosopher Lucretius wrote the poem, De rerum natura (translated as On the Nature of Things), which challenged the belief that gods controlled human fate. It did not challenge the existence of gods, but the notion that people should fear gods. It takes the future of humans out of the hands of the Fates, placing that future in humanity’s own hands. De rerum natura is just one exploration of an idea that has emerged across civilizations, one that reconnects us with a sense of place within the natural world when systems go out of balance.
In her prints and paper coil installations, Rina Yoon overlays the textures of earth and water on the human figure. She explores a concept known as inyeon, which from Korean, translates to “cause/effect.” Inyeon explores the relationship between internal and external influences.. She likens the human body to a seed that contains everything it needs to grow, while also being dependent upon the soil to reach its potential. She likens human veins to waterways, channels for delivering energy to flesh and soil alike.
Marsha McDonald lives between Wisconsin and Tokyo. She uses photography to connect different homes, taking a micro-focus on details surrounding her: Japanese canals and streams near her apartment(s) in Tokyo and a river near her studio in Wisconsin; images of household items recreated as prayer flags. McDonald writes, “The substance of a thing is never far from the emotions and thoughts it evokes...Objects as spirit, memory, and reflection—[this] is what I’d like to explore.”
The purpose of this work is not to celebrate for the philosophy behind The Nature of Things. It is not to turn nature into a deity. The purpose, instead, is to deeply question, meditate, and relate to what we see. It is to connect the similarity of one river to the next. It is to overlap the health of the human body with the flow of water.
If we can see the natural world in ourselves, perhaps we can see it not as holy or otherworldly, but as familiar, flawed, diverse, and human. And as humans, perhaps we can also mature how we understand our role in determining what is humane.
SONJA THOMSEN: ARTIST BOOKS
The construction of zines is an integral part of artist Sonja Thomsen’s practice. When building an installation she often begins with the book. Mapping out her ideas and process within a book format helps her conceptualize her approach to activate the physical space of the museum or gallery. Her installation in the space of elsewhere transforms the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's lobby through November 11, 2017. As an extension of the installation, ALL has collaborated with MMoCA to exhibit a selection of Sonja's artist books and offer a free workshop with Sonja on September 16, 2017 from 2-4:30pm.
Sonja Thomsen is a Milwaukee-based artist whose multifaceted practice combines photography, sculpture, interactive installation and site-specific public art to create spaces reflective of our own perceptions. Since earning an MFA in photography at the San Francisco Art Institute (2004), she has exhibited with Higher Pictures, DePaul Art Museum, Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Reykjavik Museum of Photography, New Mexico Museum of Art, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Gallery f5,6 in Munich among others. Thomsen's work resides in the collections of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Reykjavík Museum of Photography and the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Accolades include the Mary L. Nohl Fellowship for Individual Artists, Milwaukee Arts Board New Work Commission, Digital Artist in Residence at Columbia College Chicago and a Hermitage Artist Fellowship. Sonja Thomsen is a member of the international photography collective Piece of Cake. Thomsen is a Lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.