Kimball Art Center examines our relationship to the land through the lens of more than 30 artists with its three-part exhibition series, Between Life and Land. Each exhibition in the series explores a singular theme to bring a deeper understanding of how this relationship has formed, evolved, and today continues to change.
Exhibiting artists include Collin Bradford, David Brooks, Nancy Holt, Patrick Dean Hubbell, Stefan Lesueur, Sara Lynne Lindsay, Colour Maisch, Mary Mattingly, Robert Smithson, and Rodrigo Valenzuela. Curated by Nancy Stoaks.
“This exhibition series encourages viewers to consider and understand our place in the world,” shares Kimball Art Center curator, Nancy Stoaks. “The ideas presented in each exhibition of the series will further our understanding of the interaction between ourselves and the lands that surround us.”
Opening December 9 at 6:00 p.m., Between Life and Land: Material showcases artwork using earthen materials as a way to understand and communicate ideas about our connection to place and time. Works in the exhibition use rocks, soil, grasses, flowers and more to convey diverse ideas. From the detail captured in David Brooks’ cast aluminum forests to the variation of soils on view in Mary Mattingly’s Ecotopian Library, the works in this exhibition show the undeniable beauty in landscapes both near and far while also exploring our connections to place, time, and the larger cosmos.
Featured work includes important films by renowned land artists Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt, as well as Sara Lynne Lindsay’s Decomposing Quilt, a work made from the artist’s collection of natural materials from sites of her ancestors’ birth or death. Three works by artist Colour Maisch examine renewal. Wandering the landscape, she incorporates dried grasses into her delicate porcelain compositions, often then placing them in ink baths to evolve over time. Maisch states, “I see decay as an integral stage of life and a symbol of the passage of time. Objects and processes that illustrate the abstract concept of passed time are frequently the subjects of my inquiry, as they contrast the mainstream obsession with newness.”
The exhibition series continues with Between Life and Land: Identity to open in Spring 2023 and Between Life and Land: Crisis opening Fall 2023.
Programs including art talks, lectures, book discussions, and on-site interactive art experiences will accompany the exhibitions.
Kimball Art Center exhibitions are offered free to visitors thanks to the generous support of partners including Utah Division of Arts & Museums, National Endowment for the Arts, Summit County RAP Tax, Summit County Restaurant Tax, Utah Office of Tourism, and Zions Bank.