Pat Luders and Jennifer McAuley have come together to create a dynamic exhibition of sculpture and paintings this month at The Arts Station.

The title, ‘Human, Nature’ comes from a common theme in their work, the importance of the nature and the impact that culture and industry have on the landscape.

Pat Luders is a sculptor who entered art school mid-life and was drawn to sculpture because of her interest in ancient cultures and civilizations. Sculptors have used the same materials for thousands of years (clay, bronze, wood), and through working with these materials Pat feels a connection to other eras and cultures. She draws inspiration from by her natural surroundings and the creativity and talents of her fellow artists who record, energize and enrich our world through arts and culture.

Pat sculpts both classical bronze portraits and abstract multi-media tables. When creating a bronze portrait Pat works with her subject in a relaxed setting in order to portray their true spirit and vibrancy. Her bronzes are often commissioned as living legacies for treasured members of the community. Her other style of sculpture is very different, instead of representing reality she draws on images of ancient cultures and nature and creates something very abstract. She incorporates a broad range of natural and recycled materials in these sculptures including; reclaimed and carved wood, pounded copper, and inscribed soapstone. Through her art Luders expresses “caring about this complex, crazy world in which we all live.”

Jennifer McAuley is currently living in the Kootenays. Inspired by the natural beauty of her home and the experiences of modern culture, Jennifer enjoys the creative process as a cathartic expression of her thoughts, concerns and understandings. Her work reflects a struggle to engage with the world around her, reflecting also her drive to communicate as a deeply creative person. Primarily oil on panel, the paintings are built through an intuitive process of layering and “working over” of found and imagined images.

Moving away from Vancouver and to more rural surroundings has changed Jennifer’s perspective. She now focuses on the minute details in nature, the details of a riverstone, the colours of the leaves in fall, and the song of a bird. All of these aspects of nature are more noticeable when not cast against the din of the city. But the long fingers of the manufactured still touch even the most remote areas. Humans often leave foot prints: a tangle of fishing line that boasts of fish caught or an old rusted wire fence that whispers property. It can be wonderful and disorienting to be so far from the city where the pockets of untouched and untamed nature assert their independence. As the natural world expands around her, she notices not just the vistas but also the details of geography that remind her that we are all in transience.

Join them at the Arts Station for the opening reception on Thursday, January 31 at 7 p.m. and see what creations they have come up with to share with Fernie. The exhibit continues until Feb. 26.

For more information, contact The Arts Station at (250) 423-4842 or [email protected].

The Arts Station

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