Buster-Levi Gallery, located in the village of Cold Spring, New York, is pleased to announce Arctic Kelp Mappings: prints and sculptures by Ada Pilar Cruz.  The exhibition will open May 3, 2024 and run until June 2, 2024. The opening reception will be on Friday May 3, 2024 from 6-8pm. 

Ada Pilar Cruz’s new prints are a series made from Kelp found in the arctic regions where she was on a trip last October. The prints were made by inking the kelp and hand pressing it onto paper. The ink picks up the raised textures of the kelp and the varied surfaces of the handmade paper along with the shape of the kelp leaves suggests the topography of land surfaces. Cruz noticed that the resemblance of the actual landscape where she gathered the kelp after the print was made. She then enhanced the effect with paint. This is not the first time Cruz noticed the strangeness of seaweed prints and the landscape they resemble as she has worked with seaweed throughout her career both as inspiration for textural surfaces and their color, particularly from the Caribbean.

Cruz has also been interested in the long strands of seaweed’s tentacles in that they resemble images of Medusa’s hair of living snakes. In Greek mythology; Medusa (guardian, protectress);  turned those who looked upon her into stone. Cruz has stated; “Working with stone-ware clay, I turn figures made from the clay into symbolic sentinels or guardians.” The stillness of her sculptures suggest such an interpretation. In addition, Cruz considers her recent sculptures as symbolic constellations of the night sky, which again reminds her of guardians. Her use of oxides in clay slip are intentionally made to resemble the colors of the aurora. Cruz’s Catholic upbringing, her love of symbolism and stories are strong influences for the associations she make in her art work.

The gallery will be open on weekends from noon to five pm.

For more information: busterlevigallery.com.

Artist Website: Ada Pilar Cruz