Sunday, February 8, 2009

Nest Book

My friend, Shiela Hale, artist and thinker extraordinaire, just won first prize at the Contemporary Confrontations exhibition at Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York. Her piece, "Nest Book I," invites the fascinated viewer into its nest of altered text. I love the way Shiela's mind gathers and reshapes elements from nature and language into something stunning and meaningful. Quoted in The Record-Review, Shiela says "Nature and culture are frequently presented as opposing forces. I am questioning that adversarial relationship and suggesting the possibility of a mutually enhancing alternative."

The exhibit runs through February 22, 2009. Over 800 artists entered the competition. 126 were chosen. Nan Rosenthal, former senior consultant for modern and contemporary art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was the juror. Congratulations, Shiela!

For more information on Shiela and her work, click here: Shiela Hale.

The photo was taken last week at the museum. Looking through the lens made me admire the assemblage even more.

2 comments:

Deborah Batterman said...

I love the 'Nest Book 1' following on the heels (or should I say feathers) of your last post. And I think of you every time I pass the waterfall that has been transformed into a swirling ice sculpture just down the road from me.

Christine said...

Deborah -- forgive the time lag. (Yes, I enjoyed that feathery link, too.) All the ice and snow this winter -- quite beautiful, quite mesmerizing. And we're not done yet! Thanks for your always insightful and elegant comments.