Fragile Earth the Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art Florence Griswold Museum
Fragile Earth at the Florence Griswold Museum Immerses Visitors in Art and Conservation
Rather than viewing the fine art, I felt immersed in it. Alarmingly large insects, somehow cute in their geometric arrangement, covered the walls. Every piece of piece of furniture displayed non a flower or ornament under a glass bell jar, merely an intricate scene with every part played by an insect. Cicadas, beetles, moths, dragon flies, butterflies, about every insect I'd ever swatted away, somehow fabricated to expect enticing as they led you through the entirety of the start flooring of the Griswold firm at the Florence Griswold Museum.
"Jennifer wrote this fictional narrative about the artists in the house. She wants you to believe that you lot're part of the insect themed party that the artists accept thrown," Parsons said. "Her story allows you to learn this message about environmental conservation through her fantasy in this fun way."
"It is the showtime special exhibition that has extended into the house, a huge undertaking for us," said Jenny Parsons, an assistant curator at the museum and the organizer for the Frail World exhibition which opened this calendar month and volition run until September 8. Jennifer Angus, the artist who created the exhibit was, "then inspired by the Victorian period, the layering of patterns and decorative arts that she wanted to install in the Griswold firm."
The bugs are more than decorations, they tell a story that seems plausible for the artist colony housed at the Griswold house.
"Jennifer wrote this fictional narrative about the artists in the business firm. She wants y'all to believe that yous're part of the insect themed party that the artists have thrown," Parsons said. "Her story allows you to learn this message about ecology conservation through her fantasy in this fun way."
In addition to Angus, Frail Earth incorporates the piece of work of three other artists: Marking Dion, Courtney Mattison and James Prosek, a Connecticut native.
The exhibition is a sequel to the Flora and Fauna show held in 2017. It juxtaposed Metcalf'south Cabinet – a collection of all Willard Metcalf's natural materials including everything from bugs to birds eggs – with celebrated naturalist artists work. This new exhibition was also inspired by Metcalf'due south chiffonier and two of the 4 artists featured in the show incorporated a cabinet into their work.
"All the artists are very unlike, but also the same in the fact that they care deeply about the environs and climate change," Parsons said.
Taken together, the four shows send a powerful message to all visitors about the Earth, information technology'south beauty and it's need for us to accept better care of it. With scenes of eels transforming into human-made objects, coral bleaching and jars total of human objects all establish forth the seashore, the message of the human impact on the natural world rings through.
"Nosotros filled the gallery with this debris. Cleaned and sanitized then categorized. One is full of those alcohol nip bottles, one of cream, one of bottle caps, tennis balls, toys, and the last of unrecognizable objects," Parsons said. "Information technology speaks to the idea that these things are out at that place dissolving into the h2o, ruining it."
"Their art has a unique way of appealing to visitors. You can tell people these statistics, only information technology's not always a very disarming manner to share the message. It's depressing, hard to hear, might cause them to shut off and choose not to believe," Parsons said. "The artists want to connect with people through the beauty and emotion of their piece of work."
For Parsons, one of the near emotional pieces was Dion'south accept on Metcalf's chiffonier.
"I had the privilege to exit on the collecting team and collected a lot of the artifacts myself. We filled the gallery with this debris. Cleaned and sanitized and then categorized. One is full of those alcohol nip bottles, one of cream, 1 of bottle caps, tennis balls, toys, and the concluding of unrecognizable objects," Parsons said. "Information technology speaks to the idea that these things are out there dissolving into the water, ruining it. These things were put in that location past us and we need to change or else we are really just poisoning ourselves."
But for those who relate more to the science and then the fine art – or often need a little nudge to visit an art museum – Judy Preston'southward presentation connects science and the natural mural in southeastern Connecticut to the fine art exhibition.
Preston is the Long Island Sound Outreach Coordinator for the Connecticut Sea Grant hosted at the University of Connecticut. She has worked through the Master Gardener program to promote the planting and protection of native plants, especially forth the shoreline and waterways.
"A lot of our programs are meant to build a span between the art and our visitors," said David Rau, the director of instruction and outreach at the Florence Griswold museum. "A lot of the art speaks for itself just the programs take it to the adjacent level."
Preston'due south first of four Fragile Earth presentations launched off themes introduced by Prosek's work. Prosek, who is well-known for his work with the eel, explored ideas of interconnectedness in nature and migration. Preston took the other visitors and me on the journey of 4 different animals that all rely on migration – and each other – to brand perilous journeys that humans are making more challenging for them.
"I picked the topic after talking with the Flo Gris staff and coming up with the idea to bring some of the larger issues that the artists are covering. In Prosek'south case, he looks at several animal migrations and how they are perceived of and affected past humans, to the local landscape of the CT River Estuary," Preston said.
The fine art and the science testify that "nature is declining, but it's not as well late to make a difference," Preston said. "People e'er want to know what they tin do to help and if information technology's worth it. You lot can do something, you only need to start in your own backyard."
Simple changes that tin help… leaving out h2o for birds in the summertime, planting asters and aureate rods to allow bees a place to pollinate, leaving some patchiness in yards for native basis nesting bees and planting trumpet honeysuckles to provide nectar for hummingbirds.
Preston has three additional presentations on Baronial 11, September viii and November 10, each focusing on a topic inspired by one of three remaining artists.
Source: https://ctexaminer.com/2019/07/27/fragile-earth-at-the-florence-griswold-museum-immerses-visitors-in-art-and-conservation/
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