Arts on Douglas Opens the Fall Season with Two New Exhibitions August 20 2014
Opening reception: Saturday, September 6, 4-7pm
Eclectic Sets & Marionettes: Trent + Kelly Berning on view September 6-27, 2014
ARTISTS TALK:Friday, September 12, 11am
In the alt_space: Lux by Robert C. Beck on view September 6 - October 11, 2014
New Smyrna Beach, FL — Arts on Douglas opens the fall season with two new exhibitions. In the feature gallery, ceramic artists Trent + Kelly Berning present: Eclectic Sets & Marionettes, on view September 6 – 27, 2014. In the alt_space: Lux by Robert C. Beck will be on view September 6- October 11, 2014. An opening reception for both exhibitions will be held on Saturday, September 6, 4 -7pm. The opening reception and exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Eclectic Sets & Marionettes offers a rare glimpse of the individual styles and techniques of a couple who share their life, family and studio space. The exhibition includes surrealist marionette figures, platters, and miniature wall hangings by Kelly Berning and texture driven vessels and functional sets by Trent Berning. The Berning's will hold an Artists Talk on Friday, September 12, 2014 at 11am.
Kelly Berning playfully explores themes of modern motherhood and the nuclear family in her new series of marionette ceramic figures. Her hollow-eyed figurative sculptures feature a colorful cast of characters imbued with humor and pathos. Some marionette figures adorn colorful striped stockings, polka dot aprons, party hats, pig snouts, or bunny ears, while others are festooned with leg-grabbing or shoulder-hovering children. Kelly's figures convey the concurrent and often conflicting cluster of emotions attached to parenthood. This emotional layering of contrasts captures the joys, challenges, and theatricality of modern motherhood without being sentimental.
Trent Berning's anthropomorphic vessels, rough shard pedestals, and functional objects have the appearance of relics that are traditionally associated with clay. What distinguishes them from their politely crafted predecessors is the manner in which he bestows familiar forms with visual and tactile significance. Pinched, pushed, scored, glazed, painted, or polished, the earthiness of clay is transformed by Trent's keen understanding of the dynamic relationship between artist, viewer, and art object.
In the alt_space, Robert C. Beck presents Lux, an installation of illuminated paper constructions and intimate watercolor paintings, inspired by cityscapes, fireworks, and electronics.
Attune to the ways in which light renders space and color, Beck treats artificial light as a material and subject. Beck’s lithographic prints are constructed to mimic the novelty army tank firecrackers readily available at roadside fireworks stands. Scaled up three times the size of the original firecracker, Beck will have over 100 L.E.D. illuminated tanks installed in the space. Beck's tanks may not have the pyrotechnic boom of fireworks, but the illuminated installation is every bit as spectacular. In addition to the illuminated installation, Beck will display a selection of postcard-sized watercolor paintings from an on-going series centered on atmospheric and architectural lighting. These paintings are small in scale but nonetheless capture the spectacle and vibrancy of casino slot machines and New York's Times Square.
Kelly Berning received her B.F.A. in sculpture from California State University, Chico, CA and M.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has exhibited her work in solo and juried exhibitions across the nation. When she is not teaching, she is taking care of her little ones during the day and working in her Port Orange studio at night with her husband Trent Berning.
Trent Berning is originally from Kansas and has lived in various places throughout the United States including Tennessee and California. He received his M.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Tennessee,Knoxville. He currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Art in Ceramics at Daytona State College. Trent has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions across the nation. His work appears in catalogues and publications including Clay Times. When he is not teaching, he is busy creating in his Port Orange studio and spending time with his family.
Robert C Beck is a painter, printmaker, photographer, and publisher of fine art media. He received his B.A. from Rollins College in his hometown of Winter Park, FL. Beck was mentored by artist Ke Francis and was an active participant with Flying Horse Editions in Orlando. His work is exhibited in museums, galleries, and private collections around the country. Beck is currently residing in New York where he works as a full-time artist.
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