“Spring at Fall Creek” 28″ x 22″ oil/canvas by Eve Larson
AVAA Members Marilyn Rea Nasky, Eve Larson and Hank Waddell are featured artists in “Out on A Limb.”
The tree, in art and literature, is a universal metaphor for life. Most cultures and religions have celebrated the tree as a symbol of the center of the universe and the origin of creation. This Fall Gallery at the J presents Out On a Limb: The Tree as Art and Metaphor, through November 18 with Family Program on Sunday, November 17, 2013.
“Goodnight Sweet Prince” by Marilyn Rea Nasky
This exhibition is an exciting opportunity to discover and explore the subject of the tree through both Jewish tradition and the visions of fifteen contemporary artists. With branches reaching upward, trunks planted in the soil and roots seeking nourishment, the tree of life is a potent symbol. In Jewish philosophy the tree of life represents the wisdom of the Torah and the tree also has a particular significance as a physical lifeline that represents growth, responsibility and stability. Honoring the birthday of the tree, Tu B’ Shvat, is a custom originally established to coincide with the ripening of the fruits of the garden. The planting of trees either physically or through contributions takes place on Tu B’ Shvat. In Jewish tradition the beauty of the land must be protected from harm and preserved. In this way, the tree becomes a metaphor for objects and values that are passed to future generations.
“Coyote Cries” by Hank Waddell
Out On a Limb presents a canopy of artistic responses to the subject of the tree in its many connotations as evocative presence, comforting beauty, mysterious storyteller and metaphorical forms of renewal, stability and historical witness. The selection of works in this exhibition includes a wide range of media from sculpture, painting, collage, and photographs to digital and encaustic techniques. We are delighted to have well-known Austin artists participating in the show including Ed Lindlof, Marilyn Rea Nasky, Jeff Lava, Valerie Fowler, Amy Lindsey-Joynt, Doug Nagle, Eve Larson, Cathy Savage, Sarah St. Laurent and Hank Waddell. We are also honored to introduce new artists to the community such as Ysabel LeMay, Jay Schnieder, Lydia Apelgren, Caroline Wright and Tatiana Nickolova-Houston.
Out On a Limb: The Tree as Art and Metaphor offers an opportunity to the viewer to commune with the images, to respond to the trees’ elegance, longevity and transformative nature and to understand our responsibility to protect the natural world from unnecessary harm. To gaze upon the trees is to dream of a better world.
