Special to the News-Sun
AVON PARK - South Florida State College's Museum of Florida Art and Culture (SFSC MOFAC) presents its third exhibition of the season, Sand and Sea, from Jan. 23-Feb. 28 at SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park.
The Sand and Sea exhibition is a culmination of three artists working in varying mediums and art forms, while inspired by a shared theme - sea shells. Rick Crawford is known for his turned wood artwork of sea shells and shell fragment;, John Bunker for his acrylic paintings of sea shells and floral elements; and Terry Powell for sea shell jewelry, decorative pieces, and replicated tool artifacts. They will share an opportunity to demonstrate the uses of a natural form in both science and art.
Crawford sees the form of the sea shell in its complete or fragmented state as a work of art. His pieces are created by turning wood, adding texture and color, and carving features into the wood surface. The forms are derived from found and reclaimed wood and molded into a sculpture that keeps its organic shape and feel but resembles an entirely new natural form. The artist states, "My current work embodies an exploration of the tactile world around us, using strong textural elements of material reduction."
Acrylic paint is the medium artist Bunker uses to interpret the sea shell in its natural form. The artwork gives the viewer a perspective on a simple form they may have never noticed other than in passing.
A former archeologist and artist, Powell exhibits the science element of the sea shells' natural form with his handmade items inspired by authentic artifacts he has discovered through his research. Tools made with sea shells and other items were created to improve and aid in the lives of early peoples. Powell will also exhibit his re-creations of handmade ancient sea shell jewelry.
The MOFAC Sand and Sea exhibition will invoke thought and comparisons between beauty and science in forms that occur everywhere in nature. SFSC MOFAC is open to the public from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Patrons of the Artist and Matinee series may view the exhibition one hour prior to performances, and group tours are available by appointment. For more information about the museum, exhibitions, and workshops, or to request a museum tour, contact Mollie Doctrow, curator, SFSC MOFAC, at 784-7240, or visit the SFSC MOFAC website at www.mofac.org.
Friday, January 18, 2013 - www.newssun.com/012013-MOFAC-Presents