On view: November 1 – December 15, 2018
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 8, 6-8PM


(left to right) Hair and Tunnels (2017), mixed media on marble and burlap, 28″x18″x18″; My Border (2017), mixed media on marble, 17″x26″x17″

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Taylor Apostol first became interested in stone carving and plaster casting while living in Florence and Carrara, Italy. Her process begins with personal memories – of her own body, the bodies of others, bits of conversation and advice, architecture and nature. “The transformation of a memory happens internally, in a space not visible to others,” says Apostol. “Through my sculptures I give physical form to what cannot be seen. I rely on memory instead of using photographs or objects as a direct reference. This allows room for the sculpture to unravel as I carve and cast.” The abstract forms of her carvings are reminiscent of familiar shapes, yet remain hard to pin down. “As I build up and scrape away, I am constantly searching for what is lost, what is replaced and what remains the same. By recording these shifts I want to confront the fluid nature of memories and what is to be lost/gained.”

The sculptures in this exhibition are part of an ongoing series titled Shrinking Mass/Spreading Mass, in which Apostol uses patinated marble and plaster as a link to the past and the long history of traditional sculpture-making. The patinas range from classic, such as oil paint, ink, tea and metal leaf to unusual, such as flocking, lipstick, olive oil, glitter, fabric and markers. “I am intrigued by the whitewashing of ancient marble and plaster sculpture,” says Apostol. “This misunderstanding and rewriting of history has led to a general acceptance that marble sculpture was and should continue to be pure and white. Through my use of patinas I play with the space between past and present.” Several of the sculptures in the series invite physical interaction from the viewer. Incorporating touch breaks down barriers allowing for a moment of intimacy.

EVENTS & PROGRAMMING

Artist Talk and Demonstration: Wednesday, November 14, 7PM
free and open to the public

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Taylor Apostol was born in 1987, in Washington, D.C. and spent her formative years living in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and the suburbs of Philadelphia. Two years living in Florence and Carrara, Italy ignited her passion for stone carving and plaster casting. Apostol earned her BA in Studio Art at the University of Vermont and MFA in Sculpture at Boston University. She has attended residencies at The Studios at MASS MoCA, Vermont Studio Center and Sias International University. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Hotel Commonwealth in Boston, MA and Sias International University in Xinzheng, China. Recently, Apostol received a Matched Savings Grant from Assets for Artists. She currently lives and works in the Boston area.

ABOUT THE JUROR

Sam Toabe is a curator and art historian based in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the Gallery Director at the University Hall Gallery for the Art Department, as well as the Director of Arts on the Point, at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Toabe received his M.A. in the History of Art and Architecture and Museum Studies from Boston University in 2015 and a B.F.A. from the Studio for Interrelated Media at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2011. His research and writing focuses on alternative curatorial practices across a variety of periods and geographies (looking specifically at artist curated exhibitions and events), revisionist art histories, and the advancement of cultural plurality in our global, visual lexicons. Between 2013 and 2016, Toabe acted as the Assistant Director and subsequent Associate Director at Samsøñ – an internationally recognized commercial art gallery in Boston’s South End. He has contributed to over 50 exhibitions, with supporting roles at institutions such as the Yuan Art Museum in Beijing, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, and Brandeis University, among others.