Zoomorphism: Finding Natural Impressions in Humanized Materials

Zoomorphism: Finding Natural Impressions in Humanized Materials Works by Jason Lyons August 26, 2022 - September 25, 2022 Ventures Gallery Opening Reception: Friday, August 26, 2022 (5pm to 7pm). “Since I can remember I have always been drawn to the natural world, either through time spent camping and hiking or days spent exploring the local junkyards and scrap piles. I joke that as a child I was the one watching Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom” instead of the local baseball team. At the same time, art, and the creation of it, was also a constant in my life, preferring mediums which always gravitated to 3-dimensional work. Today, inspiration comes from looking at the correlation between the ‘tools’ and objects that have been created for human intention and how these items correspond to organic shapes found in the natural world. I look for these shapes buried within objects. I then utilize these shapes and reinterpret them into the anatomical structures that make up the organic sculptures I create. Honoring the past histories and owners of the materials I use is also a major inspiration driving the creation of my sculptures. Who worked with a pruning saw to an extent that leaves it with a paint rubbed patina that can never be replicated? Or the child who enjoyed a toy car such that the wheels were literally worn away? So, honoring these cherished items gives them new life through re-interpretation in my sculptures. In the end, creating beauty from many common and in some cases mundane everyday objects. Many times sculptures are born from the inspiration of a single item. This launches a process in which additional materials are then gathered and the sculpture grows from there in depiction of the original vision. Through upbringing and an inherent passion for the discarded object, I have developed a unique perspective and talent to visually dissect, re-interpret and then re-purpose the materials found in my sculptures. I look for the potential in every object, as a valuable contributor to the sculptures I create.” Venue: Rehoboth Art League.