'Contemplating Nature: Sculpture & Prints' opens Aug. 16 at HACC-Lancaster Campus
Free, public reception for Philadelphia artist Gina Michaels set 5-7 p.m. Sept. 16
July 20, 2010
Lancaster, PA – You might say Philadelphia resident Gina Michaels is immersed in her work. How she creates her sculptures and prints is as compelling as the results. Local residents can see what she has created in “Contemplating Nature: Sculpture & Prints” on display Aug. 16-Sept. 29 in the Art Space of the East Building at the Lancaster Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.
A reception for the artist is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, in the Art Space.
Michaels begins her bronze sculpture in a sandbox. In the spirit of meditation and play, she presses her hands, arms, legs and feet into casting sand, creating an imprint of the expressive energy of her body. She also draws in the sand, recording the speed and arc of her movements. Then she ladles molten bronze into the hollows created by the body.
“The immediacy of the flowing metal and the happy accidents that follow are an integral part of my work,” said Michaels.
The art show also features Michaels’ Tara series of monotypes, or prints. Named for the Tibetan guardian and nature goddess, these prints also are highly improvisational. The artist uses leaves and grasses as stencils and graphic elements that create botanical forms in the same way she uses the human form in sculpture.
Michaels' sculptures have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries, cultural centers, and public spaces for more than 20 years. Her work most recently has been exhibited in City Hall in Philadelphia and galleries in New York City, Philadelphia and its suburbs and Lancaster. She has a bachelor’s degree in art and art history from Oberlin (Ohio) College and a master’s degree in fine art from the University of Pennsylvania. Additional information about the artist and her work can be found at www.ginamichaels.com.
Art Space hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.
For more information, contact Judith Johnson, art show coordinator and humanities instructor at HACC-Lancaster Campus, at 358-2201 or via e-mail at jcjohnso@hacc.edu.
