Spring is in the air and things are all aflutter, especially at Tryon Arts and Crafts School.
The latest member show, “Flights of Spring,” features many flying things, from a gigantic feathered dragon by James Greene entitled “Feathered Dragon” to Diana Gurri’s large, colorful painting entitled “Dream/Soar” and Ruthie Cohen’s delicate eagle pin crafted in sterling silver with oxidized copper and set with a Mexican fire agate.
Christine Mariotti, Tryon Arts and Crafts gallery director, said, “I am amazed at the variety of interpretations that our member entries represent. Many of them designed pieces especially for this show and took the theme literally or figuratively to show new artwork representing their favorite mediums.”
Representing the multiple talents of its members as well as the varied media studied in classes and workshops at Tryon Arts and Crafts School, the show offers painted silk, fine silver, earthenware and more. There’s woven cloth such as Suzanne Monroe’s intricately subtle piece inspired by peacock feathers and found object assemblages such as Douglas Chamberlain’s “Snow Birds,” which represents two blue birds flying south with wood from an old chair and metal cut from vintage license plates.
A recent transplant from Greenville, S.C., Chamberlain and her husband moved to Tryon in April 2011. Working previously in the local textile chemical industry, she started doing assemblages in 2010 after a serendipitous visit to a Savannah, Ga. gallery, where she met assemblage artist Caroll Williams.
“To say that her work inspired me is an understatement,” she said. “I went home and made 10 pieces over the next few months!”
Chamberlain has two other colorful and thought-provoking pieces in the show: “Shadow,” a metal cat silhouette in an embellished vintage bird cage, and “Barnstorming,” which includes old painted wood that suggests barn siding, a stirrup and a large black painted brass eagle.