Reinterpreting the Object
Emily Counts, Royce Allen Hobbs, and Jessie Rose Vala
June 17 – July 22, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 17, 5-8pm

Strobel & Sands’ second exhibition, Reinterpreting the Object, explores the dynamics of sculpture in relation to the viewer through varying degrees of abstraction, conceptualism and craftsmanship. Many of the works in the exhibition are recognizable or reminiscent of a functional object that has been rendered useless.  Emily Counts, Royce Allen Hobbs, and Jessie Rose Vala each present a distinct path to examining the relational and aesthetic nature of sculpture.

Emily Counts’ works explore issues of communication and the tools used in systems of information, through her intricate work and materiality. Her three pieces in this exhibition engage in an effort to make a human connection. Answering Machine, Personal Device and Insert all portray this effort for clarity with a rich use of detailed craftsmanship; the formalistic nature of the work appears to be at odds with the perceived functionality of the form.

 Royce Allen Hobbs’ approach to conceptualism subtly commands a quiet absorption in the work and one’s self. In Untitled, both found materials speak to the passage of time and absence. The functional use of the hot water bottle is removed, and this intervention imparts a new significance. These combinations are taken further in Untitled, Enough of the quietness and Our breaking bones wake the children, where the juxtaposition of found materials engages in a muted dialogue.

Jessie Rose Vala’s sculptures, Earth Whisk, Sky Whisk, and Sun Whisk, carry an elusive, mystical quality that transcends the present.  Are they symbols from an ancient past, an undiscovered culture, or methods for communication? The unknown denotes a sense of spirituality and her work addresses how we see familiarity in the unfamiliar.

Pictured above: Emily Counts, Answering Machine, 2012, stoneware with luster, glass, silver chain, 9 x 9 x 13 inches