Chakaia Booker 5-21-10

  Another must see:  Chakaia Booker’s  big black sculptures made from rubber tires, at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA.

Outdoor sculptures include a  huge “picture frame” made of tire scraps assembled on some sort of armature– through which you can see a corner of the museum . Also,  inverted tee-pee-like structure, composed of V-shaped scraps, on a scaffolding.

"No More Milk and Cookies"

 Indoors: complex forms,  freestanding and on the walls–which embody shapes, textures, and visually complex abstract scenes “referencing African textiles and body decoration to evoke issues of black culture, identity, gender, and environmentalism,” as the DeCordova Web site explains.

The sculptures also bring up important questions about relationships of man-made waste materials, landscape, and culture.

Some  of the sculptures look like whimsical worms or insects; despite the overall “heavy” message of the show, these  are simply fun….and so highly textural that  you want to touch them. (I have to admit…my friend E and I each copped a feel—tho appearing soft, most of the rubber pieces are hard–before discovering a demonstration area near the exhibit where you can actually play with tire materials).

As the Decordova points out on its Web site:

Formally, Booker’s work is engaged in dialogue with the history of Western sculpture, from the ancient and classical tradition of the human figure through the Modernist non-objective sculpture of the twentieth century.

What sets her work apart, and significantly expands upon the history of sculpture, is her ability–with rubber tires–to create surfaces on objects that resemble skins, feathers, scales, spikes, armor, or attire.

 On a recent Saturday morning, after coffee at the Charles, I was struck by the beautifully displayed fruit and vegetables in one of the farmers market stalls on Mt. Auburn Street.

I asked the proprietor if it would be OK to take some photos,  then, like every other visitor to the stand, asked him what on earth those shiny pale white, pink and reddish berries were.  One customer guessed elderberries, but the proprietor, Frank Buso, said they’re  currents ($4 a pound).   Buso said  he grows them–and everything else in the stand–at his farm in Lincoln– located on Battle Road in the Minuteman National Park.  [Click here for Minute Centennial Celebration events].

Busa’s is one of a handful of  farms leased at very low cost (approximately$25 an acre) from the Park itself. The goal,according to  Park spokesman Lew Sedaris,  is to help preserve the scene of the 1775 Revolutionary War battle fought in Lexington, Lincoln and Concord –much as other national parks preserve their natural settings.

 Busa started his Lincoln  farm  two  years ago–after his family sold its farm, also called Busa’s, in Lexington. Now, Busa sells  fruits and vegetables at farmers markets in  Bedford, Lexingtonn Arlington and Cambridge.      

Compared with Haymarket–where you take a chance on freshness– Busa’s and the other Harvard Square stands are a bit pricey–$4 for a pint of blueberries, $2 for a head of  lettuce, a bunch of scallions or basil.  Hot peppers are 5 for a dollar, and tomatoes go for $3.00 a pound.  But everything at Busa’s looks delicious. Although I’d already done my  shopping for the week,   I found the stand worth visiting for both the conversation and the view.

                                                                   Photos and text c. Anita M. Harris, 2009.

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, MA. We also publish Harriscomblog.

 “Lorne Beach: Fantastical Rock Formations on Australia’s South Coast”
Photos by Anita M. Harris with annotation by Australian Geologist Avi Olshina
 June 5-September 7, 2009                                         Salem Arts Walk Friday-Sunday June 5-7
                                   Reception  3-5 Sunday June 24
                                              Treasures Over Time
                                                139 Washington St.
                                                       Salem, MA
                                                    978-745-2330
                                     www.treasuresovertime.com

 

A lovely, eclectic show called “Float”  at the Clark Gallery,  145 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA, exhibits works on nautical themes by 24 artists.

Pieces range from a model wooden ship, c. 1900 by an unattributed  artist  to  Wendy Jean Hyde’s video installation showing a polar bear swimming back  and forth on a large plasma screen.

A few of my other  favorites included:

Rebecca Kincaid’s  oil, fabric & mixed media painting “Winter Sailor,” Chris Armstrong’s  oil on alumninum  “Whiteout,”

and Patricia Burleson’s Springmelt 6,. It’s an 18″x24″x18″  “boat” composed of wire, lace, bones, shredded tire, vine buttons, found metal and wood including saw blad, barbed wire, springs, strainers, whisk, scissors, sticks spoon and found objects including purse, balls, harmonic, baseball glove, clothes, pins nail clippers and fan.

I was impressed by Rob Napier’s tiny model ships, and  by Jerry Beck’s “The Dreams of Small fish (from his Secret Art of Loon Park, Oaracle Series).

My friend Mark H. noticed the playful spelling of “oaracle,”which makes sense because the work is a floor-to-ceiling=sized  oar (136x15x3″). Its shaft is a 3” clear acryllic tube filled with dried, shellacked fish and mushrooms.

It’s a fun show; I wish I could write up every piece but you can see them at the gallery through April 30 or view more photos online.

AMH

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of  the Harris Communications Group of Cambridge, MA.