Each delicate, unusual character appearing in artist Elizabeth Collins Hanes’ exhibition “Freaks of Nature” was assembled from an assortment of natural found materials: seed pods, turkey tail mushrooms, reindeer moss, dove feathers, paper wasp nests, deer vertebrae, bird nests, hemlock cones. Searching for a way to reinvigorate her creative practice during the pandemic, Hanes shifted her focus from pottery to experimenting with mixed media sculptures. Gazing out of their shadowboxes with peaceful expressions on their tiny stoneware clay faces, “Visionary Fay,” “Posh Pixie,” “Stalwart Matron” and other imaginative personalities encourage viewers to slow down, look around and discover the magic and wonder of the natural world. In her exhibition statement, she says, “The treasures that I use conjure up memories of places I have been and people I have met along the way, but mostly they remind me that I am also a tiny piece of this complex earth and that I belong to something much larger.”
WHO: Elizabeth Collins Hanes
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 21, 6–9 p.m.
WHERE: tiny ATH gallery
HOW MUCH: Donations accepted
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
