LOW TIDE – Sculpture and Seaweed Studies by Ada Pilar Cruz
October 4, 2019 – October 27, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, October 4, 2019 - 6-8:30pm For Further information contact: Ada Pilar Cruz, 914-433-2900 adapilar@yahoo.com
Buster-Levi Gallery, located in the village of Cold Spring, New York, is pleased to announce Low Tide, sculpture and prints by Ada Pilar Cruz. The exhibition will open October 4, 2019 and go to October 27, 2019.
Ada Pilar Cruz’s new works at Buster Levi Gallery were created during artist residencies over the last few years; at Nes, in Skagastrond, Iceland; and at Tides Institute and Museum of Art ‘StudioWorks’ in Eastport, Maine. Although the residencies were in different countries, both were located near the ocean. While working at Nes, Cruz gathered and used the seaweed she would find at the edge of the fjord, a practice she continued along the beach during low tide in Maine. The abundance of algae became both the material for Cruz’s printmaking process as well as initiating exploration and experimentation of sculptural forms. The ephemeral seaweed shifted and changed quickly as it dried. In the prints, the aging process not only suggested forms but Cruz also added actual pieces of seaweed to some of the works. The collaged seaweed added a sculptural presence to the two-dimensional prints. The resulting forms and textures have an air of unpredictability that reflects the natural decay of the seaweed as it changes. Cruz has also included seaweed in the installation for some of the figurative sculptures.
The new sculpture continues her series called Shrines that Cruz has been working on for the past 12 years. This series of sculptures are made of clay and fired to high temperatures in wood burning or reduction kilns. Through this process, the sculptures attain a color and texture of polished stones similar to lapis lazuli, azurite and rutile making them appear ancient and timeless. These sculptures are meant for altar or shrine installations. In this context, the figures form part of her shrine for Low Tide – and a contemplation of ocean life.
