UPDATE (9/23/20): Opening reception has been cancelled for everyone safety. In lieu of a reception, we are offering two ‘Meet the Artists’ events on October 3&10 from 2pm to 6pm. The extended periods will allow for safer and in depth one-on-one interactions with the artists.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 1, noon: show opens
October 3, 2-6pm: Meet the Artists
October 10, 2-6pm: Meet the Artists
October 17, 2-3pm: Demonstration/Artist Talk with Sue Britt. You are invited to a conversation with Sue Britt about Paper Tapestry, a technique she created. Attendees will see how a hike and a sketch is turned into a textured, colorful art piece using Nature thinking (the design part) as well as foam board and hand-made papers (the technique part). Come join the conversation (Free to attend)
October 24, 2-3pm: Demonstration with Pierre Bounaud. Pierre will demonstrate his technique on working with porcelain clay to build geometric sculptures, sharing tips and tricks he learned along the way (Free to attend)
October 31, 7pm: show closes
Natural Shift: Art Exhibition by Pierre Bounaud, Sue Britt, and Vanessa and Bruce Backer Opens October 1, 2020 at Studio Door
(Click HERE to download a pdf version of the press release)
SAN DIEGO, California June 24, 2020 – A new collaborative exhibition by Pierre Bounaud, Sue Britt, and Vanessa and Bruce Backer runs October 1-31 at The Studio Door gallery, San Diego, CA. The exhibition features 2D and 3D works in clay, paper and trees. Opening reception is October 3 5-7PM (UPDATE: cancelled)
Natural Shift is a collaborative exhibition of work by four artists who make unusual shifts in thinking about natural materials to create work inspired by Nature. Pierre Bounaud sees clay as architecture and colors as chances to experiment. The shift reveals colorful sculptural vessels and geometric abstract structures. Sue Britt sees landscapes as stories and unmasks our connection to land with dimensional paper landscapes. Vanessa and Bruce Backer see fallen trees, clay, vintage barbed wire and concealed lighting as materials to explore the struggles our natural environment is facing. From their close collaboration emerges a series of sculptures that are both thought provoking and whimsical. The shifts experienced by each artist converge into a compelling ensemble of forms and colors inspired by the power of Nature. The artwork presented in Natural Shift is carefully curated by the artists into intimate vignettes to encourage a sense of discovery and serenity throughout the gallery space.
Pierre Bounaud is a chemist turned ceramic artist based in San Diego. The shift from chemical sciences to ceramic art was a natural step for Pierre who plays on the inherent plastic properties of clay to transform it into geometric sculptures. His work starts with making hollow clay building blocks that are then ordered into repeating patterns, akin to molecular scaffolds seen in mineral and biological structures. Pierre’s creative use of ceramic glazes and pigments completes the work to re-imagine a natural world that is invisible to the human eye.
Sue Britt, a former architect, is a paper artist who developed a technique she calls Paper Tapestry that uses two dimensional decorative paper to capture the three dimensional life of land, trees and water. The base is carved and covered with paper to create shadow and form to add to the color of the paper. Her work is inspired by hiking, but also by reading about Nature. She allows memories as well as stories of natural cycles, the power of water, and the constant change of land to guide her work thus shifting away from exact representation.
Vanessa and Bruce Backer began their art collaboration after having independently successful careers in San Diego as an artist and a design entrepreneur. Their natural shift was to explore feelings about the devastation caused by our changing environments. That starting point led them to surprising and exciting ideas about art. The idea that destroying a thing of beauty can become a new thing of beauty is the theme underlying their sculptural work.
Opening reception is Saturday, October 3, 5-7 PM (UPDATE: reception cancelled). The artists are also offering talks and demonstrations throughout the month. A schedule is available on the gallery’s website.
The Studio Door is located at 3857 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103. For additional information contact gallery owner, Patric Stillman (619) 994-2263, or visit its website www.thestudiodoor.com . The Studio Door is open Tuesday-Saturday, 12-7PM.
Natural Shift in the news – San Diego Union Tribune Oct. 19, 2020
Contact Info
Pierre Bounaud, [email protected], (619) 865-1754
Sue Britt, [email protected], (858) 232-0934
Vanessa and Bruce Backer, [email protected], (619) 885-5521
