Calvin Charles Gallery Hosts "Connected Elements" By Jennyfer Stratman

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Feb. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- Who:          The Calvin Charles Gallery

What:          Opening Reception 2014 “Connected Elements” Jennyfer Stratman

Connected Elements is a body of work exploring the connection between humanity and the natural world

When:          Artist Opening Reception Thursday, March 6, from 7pm to 9pm

Exhibition:     Continues through April 7th

Enjoy:          Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres

Where:          4201 North Marshall Way, Scottsdale Arizona 85251

R.S.V.P.:  Roger Paul  rpaul@calvincharlesgallery.com or 480-421-1818

Link to images: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Jennyfer%20Stratman

ARTIST STATEMENT

Transforming my experience and interpretation of the world into the visual language of sculpture is what inspires me to create. I am to construct artwork rich emotion, content and form.

My work reveals a personal journey by exploring the interior landscape of the psyche and how that resonates with my experience of the exterior world. My work is a continued exploration of interconnections between everything from the subatomic to the galactic, expressed primarily through figuration and natural elements.

The narrative qualifies in my work evoke an emotional response that speaks broadly about the experience of being human. All of us have a primordial knowledge of the universe locked inside our bodies that is manifest in our varied ways of viewing our world and beyond. For me, expressed through my sculpture, it is my way of understanding the cosmos and my small part in it.

There is a metaphorical interplay between the natural imagery I use and it’s multiple meanings. While the human figure features strongly, it is the essence of the body that is important to me. Particularly, I imagine trees and branches as a figurative link between the natural environment and our physical presence. The implied internal landscape of the body can also be reflected in how our surroundings from birth affect our sense of identity. By exploring landscapes of the body and mind, I also hope to comment on the larger picture of our impact on the natural world.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Many artists attempt to convey the human condition: the depth of our emotions, the layers of our subconscious, and the influence of nature and the environment on our sense of self. Jennyfer Stratman captures this. More importantly, she conveys each element with an inclusiveness that allows her audience to personally discover, or perhaps re-discover, their own truths, strengths and frailties.

Stratman is an artist of constant growth and movement. Regular journeys between her studios in the US and Australia reflect core themes throughout her works. Raised in Phoenix and residing in Melbourne, Stratman is prolific in her representations of universal issues such as belonging, and connectedness to one’s environment.

Her sculptures often incorporate genderless, faceless figures, turning the primary focus to the interplay between human and nature. Her bronze representations of human anatomy and plant forms are particularly celebrated and she is uncompromising with regard to the quality and integrity of her interpretations. Yet her works are neither intrusive nor ambiguous; there is a fine balance at play and Stratman is known for her ability to convey poignancy via subtlety. In her Graft Series, for example, emotion appears latent in featureless figures that emerge seamlessly from plant limbs. However, a delicate contrast in posture or the gentle tilt of a head suddenly evokes context and point of view, allowing Stratman’s audience to consider and identify with individual perspective and voice. The result is pure connection.

About The Calvin Charles Gallery

The Calvin Charles Gallery is located on 4201 North Marshall Way, Scottsdale Arizona 85251. Gallery hours are Mon - Wed: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Thu: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, Fri - Sat: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday by appointment only. Phone number is 480-421-1818.