ArtfixDaily Event Calendar

Beyond Rodin- New Directions in Figurative Sculpture

Rye Arts Center / May 17 - June 16, 2012 / Rye, New York

RYE– The Rye Arts Center is staging Beyond Rodin – New Directions in Contemporary Figurative Sculpture, through June 16, at 51 Milton Road, Rye, NY. The exhibit will feature the work of 20 U.S.-based sculptors who are creating innovative contemporary works built on a foundation of anatomical rigor and classical training in sculpting the human form. Rye sculptor Bob Clyatt was asked to curate this exhibition and assembled the artists from across the region and nationwide. “For decades, the human figure was considered off-limits for serious sculptors – it was kitsch, commercial art, or simply hopelessly old-fashioned — not real contemporary art. And in a lot of cases, that summary dismissal was warranted. But in the last five or ten years, we’ve turned a corner and are seeing work that is both classically rooted and yet undeniably contemporary art – something fresh, something audiences are responding strongly to. I believe this is the first show to bring together this new wave of figurative sculpture in a deliberate survey format.” Works are made from materials ranging from bronze, wood or clay to space-age polymers. The pieces are created using methods that span from hand-modeling and carving to being designed inside a computer and printed into solid form with a 3-D scanner. Installations are in the Gallery and on the grounds of The Rye Arts Center. Rye’s main downtown shopping area along Purchase Streetl also host the works of Joan Benefiel and Jeremy Leichman. Their “Hudson River Pilings Project” shown recently in Los Angeles and in New York’s Fashion District– 15 glowing translucent fire-orange figures set atop 8-foot wooden poles– are installed in Rye’s recently widened sidewalk spaces. Exhibiting Artists: Emil Alzamora, Sequoyah Aono , Deborah Baldizar, Joan Benefiel & Jeremy Leichman, Paige Bradley, Susan Clinard, Tricia Cline, Bob Clyatt, Sarah Coble, Carole Feuerman, Audrey Flack, Barney Hodes, Alex Kveton, Jedediah Morfitt, Bret Reilly, Bernard Rowan, Susan Saladino, Judy Sigunick and Chris Smith. Gallery hours: Tuesday: 9:30 – 3:30 pm, Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 – 4:00 pm, Saturday: 9:30 – 3:30pm.

Rye Arts Center

51 Milton Rd

Rye, New York