Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection
May 18, 2006 - September 10, 2006
Nature Transformed features a selection of over 75 innovative works of turned and carved wood collected by Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen, many of which have been donated to the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the Museum of Arts & Design. For the last two decades, the Bohlens have sought out exceptional examples of contemporary wood art from around the world, ranging from exquisite turned vessels to sculptural objects that transcend traditional divisions between art and craft.
Nature Transformed includes pieces by some of the most important wood artists working today, including David Ellsworth, Stuart Mortimer, Mark Lindquist, and Frank Sudol.
Nature Transformed showcases a variety of exciting ways in which contemporary artists are expressing themselves in the medium of wood and also includes collaborative efforts and mixed-media pieces like Ronald Gerton’s compositions in wood and bronze. While some works are geometric or boldly sculptural like John Morris’s
Head, many of the represented artists take their inspiration from nature, even from the inherent beauty of the very material in which they work. For example, Brad Sells and Alain Mailland create flowing, abstract compositions that accentuate the natural grain patterns of their chosen pieces of wood. This attention to the natural qualities of wood is juxtaposed in
Nature Transformed with pieces that demonstrate a bold use of color, like the work of Binh Pho and Dewey Garrett. The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to experience the sensual, tactile qualities of a wide range of wood surfaces, from the rough-hewn madrone burl favored by Stoney Lamar to the highly polished exotic woods in Stuart Mortimer’s forms.