‘Out of Place’ and ‘Afterglow’ come to Truman art gallery

Two exhibitions, “Out of Place” and “Afterglow,” came to Truman State University Art Gallery Oct. 26 to Nov. 20. The Gallery hosted receptions and gallery talks for both featuring the artists behind the exhibits.

“I use my paintings as a way to honor my own regional history, which I will always tie to my upbringing in North Missouri,” Sarah Williams, creator of “Afterglow,” said.

A native of Brookline, MO, Williams now teaches at Missouri State University in Springfield. “Afterglow” is a project she said she has been working on in her current sabbatical. 

“I’m starting to think of myself more as a visitor when I go back now, and it’s kind of disconcerting,” Williams said. “Whole segments of our downtown have been falling down, there have been fires that have taken down blocks, and there’s just not as much industry. Even structures, things like large trees that I remember as a kid, have either been taken down or are falling down. So, in this body of work, I’m starting to question my role as a visitor, and also the idea of disappearance.” 

At the gallery talk for “Afterglow” Nov. 4, Williams fielded questions from community members and Truman students. The conversation ranged from painting technique to Williams’ creative approach.

“Working in higher education, there’s always the quest to carve out as much time as possible for your own creative research with what you’re doing on campus, too, so I’m fairly efficient,” Williams said.

The main gallery was home to “Out of Place,” which was created in partnership by two artists, Sarah Gross and Marshall Maude. Gross’ contributions were multi-medium sculpture works concerning unicorns.

“I have fallen in love with unicorns for the second time. First as a child, now as a mother,” Gross said. “My unicorn series explores nostalgia, pop culture and parenthood through the lens of ceramic art history.”

The dual adult and child interest in unicorns influenced Gross’ creative process directly. In the exhibit, she said what was her thinking behind subtle elements of her work.

“My sculpting is playful, and I often feature press-molded ‘macaroni hair’ embedded into the curls of the unicorn’s mane and tail, or dry pasta molding around decorative plinths,” Gross said. “This references the art materials of young children, and speaks to the experience of a parent.”

Maude, the other artist behind “Out of Place,” also worked in sculpture. His contributions were made through both pottery and stonework. The central work of “Out of Place,” a seven-foot-tall pot with natural images projected on and over it, was designed by Maude.

“Some constants in my work are the drive to examine paradox, a passion for the wood-fired surface, a love for the spontaneity of gesture, a subversive humor and the constant forward momentum of striving to push the clay to the edge of impossibility,” Maude said.