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Short Sharp Notes, Rolling or Churring Whistles, Clear PhrasesPost an Event »

Mills College Art Museum

August 21 - December 13, 2010

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5000 MacArthur Blvd Oakland, CA 94613
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Short Sharp Notes, Rolling or Churring Whistles, Clear Phrases Untitled (Western Screech Owls), 2009, Coats, pants, stuffed animals, sand, string, thread, wire, pins
The exhibition Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases will feature new work by the San Francisco Bay Area artist. Spence’s sculptural objects are inspired by birds and the natural world but are composed from the discarded materials of the human world. Accumulated bits of fabric, thread, paper, and cardboard take on species-specific characteristics and inhabit space as they might in the wild. Her work demonstrates an uncanny ability to capture the essence of animals without masking her found materials, applying a naturalist’s methods to urban detritus. Spence’s objects emulate the living animals and other items and elements she observes in nature, and explore the disparity between the culture of the artificial and the existence of the untamed natural world that surrounds us. Spence’s works on paper take on sculptural qualities as well, often lying on bases instead of hanging on the wall and incorporating some of the same materials found in her sculpture. Her exhibition at the Mills College Art Museum will include a combination of new two-dimensional and three-dimensional works. Kathryn Spence received her MFA from Mills College in 1993. She lives and works in San Francisco, California. Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases is curated by Stephanie Hanor.