Just last month, the Lyndon House Arts Center unveiled six different solo exhibitions spotlighting the talents of Jackie Dorsey, Charmaine Minniefield, Margaret Morrison, Brandon Narsing, Charles Pinckney and Lois Thomas-Ewings. Even more recently, the center opened two additional shows, “Sanctuary” and “The Fables,” both of which thematically reflect on the relationship between humankind and the natural world.
Combining the sculptures of Mary Engel and oil paintings of Cheryl Washburn, “Sanctuary” brings together two artists who share a deep reverence for animals. Engel’s dazzling, large-scale animal sculptures are covered in mosaic skins of all sorts of odds and ends: buttons, brooches, pearls, keys, clock faces, dice, rhinestones, porcelain figurines, coins, beads, chains and gemstones. With over 30 years of experience, she’s developed a highly distinctive style that not only mesmerizes viewers, but pulls them in more closely to receive a deeper message.
“My desire is to depict the animal as an individual, reveal their profound spirit and call attention to the needs of its herd, pack, pod or family,” says Engel in her artist statement. “My intention is to share stories for those who cannot speak for themselves and to advocate for multi species environmental justice. This body of work is a response to the unprecedented global crisis of species loss and endangerment. The grief I feel at this loss is rivaled only by the beauty of the animal’s presence. I respond to this simultaneous joy and sadness by creating pieces that are a celebration of the animal.”
Engel’s sculptures are accompanied by placards that describe the backstory and intentions behind each work. On the cover of Flagpole this week, for example, is “Sandra,” a sculpture inspired by a real-life orangutan who is the first of her species to be granted legal personhood, yet spent several years continuing to live under poor conditions in a Buenos Aires zoo before eventually being rescued by the Center for Great Apes in Florida. Her fur of copper chains represents the fight to advocate for her rights as a sentient being, while her embellishment of golden objects suggests how precious she is.
Finding inspiration through her observations in nature, Washburn’s serene, pastoral oil paintings frequently depict animals, her “earliest friends.” One of these friends, the artist’s own horse Cricket, appears in the show. “Cricket kindly carries me up to the fields most mornings, where I sit on her back and observe the sky, grasses and wildflowers, trees, and all the birds and animals that inhabit such places,” says Washburn. “I take all of this into the studio with me when I paint.”
The majority of portraits in the exhibition depict residents of Sweet Olive Farm Animal Rescue, a Winterville sanctuary that’s home to alpacas, horses, goats, donkeys, chickens and other creatures. There are also several paintings of wide-eyed, polka-dotted fawns inspired by those who have been rehabilitated by Camp Critter Wildlife Rescue after experiencing injury or losing their mothers. This body of work was also inspired by Primarily Possums Wildlife Rescue. The painting “Kindness is the Most Important Thing” depicts a chicken truck refugee the artist recently picked up from the side of a highway.
“I hope that my ‘Sanctuary’ paintings help the viewer to see these animals as worthy of love and care as the cats and dogs we live with and love,” says Washburn.
Also new to the LHAC’s current programming, Kristin Roberts’ solo exhibition, “The Fables,” is a series of illustrations inspired by Aesop’s Fables, the well-known collection of stories that have been passed down for centuries to teach life lessons of morality. Like their namesake, the illustrations convey the delicate balance between nature’s beauty, fragility and harshness.
“I loved drawing and painting animals in general, and I was interested in the oftentimes dark subject matter of the stories in Aesop’s Fables, so I thought it would be a great subject to get back into art with,” says Roberts. “I was excited to try to capture the juxtaposition of the innocence of the main audience reading the stories and the stark lessons that the fables impart.”
Appearing on crisp, white backgrounds, the fables are represented by beautifully illustrated animals stripped down to their most essential narrative details. With some of the darker fables, such as “The Fox and the Goat” and “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” the compositions appear more fixed and stark as if on the cusp of a terrible turn of events, causing a sense of discomfort or dread.
A longtime lover of Beatrix Potter and books featuring animals, Roberts’ own creative wheels began redirecting towards children’s illustration last year after participating in an Instagram art challenge through which she received positive response for a piece depicting an all-fox school putting on a play. Not long after, with the help of fellow local illustrator Maci Foster, she was connected to the nonprofit Leap for Literacy and its partner program Share Your Story, which promotes literacy by publishing the stories of children and pairing them with professional illustrators to bring their words to life. So far, Roberts has illustrated two books, What Pet Should I Get? and Snakeventure.
“My goal is to make pieces that kids are excited by and interested in, that hopefully pull them into the story and want to keep reading,” says Roberts. “While I’m still experimenting with mediums and my own personal illustration style, I’m so happy to have finally started making this kind of art as it’s truly fulfilling.”
While her artwork geared towards younger audiences is typically more stylized, humorous and bubbling with personality, she keeps a strong narrative at the forefront of all of her compositions. Just as the timeless lessons within Aesop’s Fables have survived across generations, “The Fables” is a series that conveys a sense of classic beauty and wisdom for all ages.
“Sanctuary” and “The Fables” will both remain on view through Oct. 7, while the LHAC’s other six solo shows will close Sept. 1.
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