Taj Matumbi, Elizabeth Sheeler, Steven Feren reception

media release: Arts + Literature Laboratory presents "Thrown," an exhibition by Bridge Work Madison participant Taj Matumbi; and an exhibit by Elizabeth Sheeler, from Tuesday, November 28, 2023 through Friday, December 22, 2023.

A reception for our Bridge Work Madison exhibitions, and for "Foto Esculturas," an exhibition by Steven Feren, will take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023, 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm.

Taj Matumbi is an emerging artist, who grew up skateboarding with his older brothers in Northern California. A 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he earned an MFA in painting and drawing and a BFA in ceramics and painting from Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. Matumbi has participated in several national group exhibitions, and his paintings are part of the permanent collections of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery, Alabama, The Wiregrass Museum of Art Dothan, Alabama, and the Louisiana State University Museum of Art in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Artist statement:

The impetus for this exhibition came from a desire to portray a mythical version of my unknown ancestry with dignity. Thrown aims to explore the uncanny bridge between biography versus myth which feels thematically American in subject. Thrown is a group of paintings I developed from a series of drawings I made back in 2022 which were influenced by the 17th-century European ruling class. In these drawings, I was concerned with depicting abstract portraits of royalty and spectacle. In each piece in Thrown, the viewer is faced with abstract figures in different situations reminiscent of aristocratic high society. These figures embody opulent personas from the era, such as the fool, the prince, and the king. I intended each painting to be a sort of retelling of my ancestors stemming from Africa and Europe captured with my formal and provisional approach to my craft. In addition, this personal yet mythical exploration Thrown addresses different types of representation of people who aren’t portrayed in the historical narrative which has led to Western society.

"Foto Esculturas," an exhibition by Steven Feren,from Tuesday, November 28, 2023 through Friday, December 22, 2023.

A reception will take place Saturday, December 2, 2023, 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

Steven Feren has been creating Sculpture for public places since 1980.  He headed the Glass area at the University of Wisconsin, Madison for 30 years. The Artist has done glass cast relief murals, fiber optics,animated LED sculpture,  glass outdoor environments, mosaic sculpture and floors, in addition to his well known work with concrete and glass. He has experience working with architects, designers, engineers and planning committees. His works have been created for Universities, Cities, and Companies, as well as private collectors.

Exhibition statement:

The work I have been engaged in over the last 30 years has been primarily work in public art.  I am interested in work that can operate on many levels, including forms that are able to transcend their limitations. I am interested in work that is physically rooted yet speaks to the spirit. My work strives to be straightforward in the most roundabout way, it is the smoke that can reveal the laser.   There are no simple answers to matters of the heart.  The work samples I have included are a representation of my desire to create work that is accessible, yet sheds light on the complexity of the human condition.  Over the last few years I have created a series cast glass and painted Sculptures. These works are inspired by the Mexican tradition of Foto Esculturas or Photo Sculptures. This tradition of combining  photos and wood carving in small memorials to family members act as tributes or shrines to the love felt for the family. I wanted to pay tribute to the birds of the world acknowledging a tremendous lost of bird life due to climate change. I have developed this work in my studio and it reflects my interests and my desire to come to terms with a variety of  issues.   These issues include love, family, history, cause and effect, and our connection to the natural world. . I also was very interested in trying to work in a way that forgoes forced cleverness and obfuscation, yet is connective and provocative.