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Painter POLLY BURNELL introduces in this exhibition
a collection of small, hand painted porcelain sculptures created over
the past two years.
These
narrative sculptures sprang from the “little worlds” she has
been painting two-dimensionally for many years. “My painting and
sculpture have fed each other - for example, the majolica glazing technique
I use draws on a painter’s technique of thinly applied color pigment,” she
explained.
“As a kid I did giant narrative drawings filled with stick figures with horses, and foxes and other animals where I found a strong association with the animals pursued,” she shared. Burnell’s work has always been whimsical and even a little sardonic, perhaps a variation on a Grimm Fairy tale with a modern twist. And here in these exquisitely executed story sculptures, predominantly featuring domestic/farm animals, she gives us a tale in the round, leading us to a surprise and delightful back story . On the front of one sculpture, for example, we meet m a hunter and his dog, (and perhaps a tiny village) and in the back, we are invited into the hiding place of the rabbit. “Art is a by-product of our lives,” Burnell feels. And thus the story sculptures usually include a darker side embedded in her narratives. Like other artists in this community, and across the country and the world, Burnell was greatly impacted by September 11 attack “My animals are always heroes and represent purity of spirit,” she explained. “People are polluted by comparison.” Considering animals as a serious subject and one from whom we humans can learn important lessons, is a long tradition followed by artists worldwide for centuries. Surprise, delight, and contemplation are all offered in these beautiful works. Burnell has lived and worked in Provincetown almost 20 years, receiving a Fellowship at FAWC almost fourteen years ago. |
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©2007 Berta Walker Gallery
