Tayloe Piggott Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of select works by sculptor and installation artist Mari Andrews. Featuring poetic, three-dimensional drawings from both natural and man-made objects, her work represents the beauty of marginalized materials. Andrews will be the first artist to personally install her work in Tayloe Piggott Gallery’s newest addition, the ‘Project Space’. An expansion from the gallery, the Project Space is a collaborative place for the community to share ideas, showcase works, host events and expand artistic concepts. It is in this spirit that Andrews will install her latest work of playful sculptures that come to life both independently and when unified across a wall. An artist reception to celebrate the opening of this exhibition will be held Wednesday, August 29th from 6-8pm. All are invited to attend.
Mari Andrews’ sculptural work incorporates a collection of personally found treasures. Acorns, seeds, rocks, lichen, rust, pigment and leaves are carefully combined with annealed steel wire or metal panels creating distinct forms. Andrews cherishes each found object and allows the spirit of the object to direct her work. Due to the contrasting textures and patterns of her materials, Andrews’ work creates a textured wall installation bursting with interesting shapes and peculiarities. The artworks change throughout the day as light dances across the wall creating elusive shadows that expand behind each piece. Simple wire structures fold around each other exemplifying their playful personality. While appearing basic in construction, each piece evokes a web of ideas as the viewer speculates on the artist’s intention. Andrews’ sculptures also add intrigue when placed alone in any space due to their curious nature. She awakens us to the wonders that surround us each day by showing how intricate materials and shapes are not the only forms that reveal aesthetic value.
From complex matrixes to dynamic minimalistic sculptures, the materials in Andrews’ work provoke conversations about their composition and meaning. While most of the sculptures expand from their primary wire or metal panel, there are many that remain contemplative, planar line-sculptures. By juxtaposing delicate shapes with multifaceted forms, Andrews’ pieces mirror the complicated nature of the human condition. Delicate and twisted, sturdy yet flexible, these sculptures remind us of the qualities found within ourselves. Representing an elemental portrait of the beauty that surrounds us, Andrews’ artworks highlight the creative possibilities intrinsic to overlooked objects.
Mari Andrews earned her BFA from the University of Dayton, Ohio, where she studied art, education, and sociology. Traveling west, she completed her MFA at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. She has been awarded an NEA Fellowship and several residencies, including Djerassi Resident Artist Program in Woodside California and the Cold Press north of London. Her work can be found in the collections of the de Young Museum in San Francisco, San Jose Museum of Art, the de Saisset Museum in Santa Clara, CA, the Eli Broad Foundation, and in private and corporate collections in the US and abroad. Andrews has exhibited extensively throughout California and the US, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, the Bolinas Museum, the Los Gatos Museum, Southern Exposure in San Francisco and the Tucson Museum of Art. Internationally, she has exhibited in Japan, Israel and England. She lives and works in Emeryville, California.
