(Above: Oak savannah by Corvallis fine-arts photogapher Richard Bergeman)

Edited by Randi Bjornstad

There will be only three weeks to take in the newest exhibits at the Maude Kerns Art Center, which 0pen on Friday, April 3 and end on Friday, April 24.

One is called Witness: Earth & Sky and features work by Rich Bergeman and Amanda Thomas. “Both artists focus on landscape, with Bergeman emphasizing the appropriation of the land and Thomas its despoliation.”

The second, titled “Consume & Dispose,” presents work by Jennifer Bucheit and Ralf Huber. “Bucheit comments through her art on American consumerism, while Huber poignantly illustrates the human cost of child labor.”

An opening reception for both shows will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 3.

There also will be one-hour artist talks scheduled for both shows at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, for Witness: Earth & Sky,  and 1 p.m.. on Saturday, April 18, for Consume & Dispose.

Artist statements

Richard Bergeman

Corvallis artist Rich Bergeman has been exhibiting his fine art photography throughout the Northwest and beyond for 40 years. His current work is inspired by the land acknowledgement movement, and particularly the traveling exhibit, “This IS Kalapuya Land.” Through infrared photography, Bergeman explores the Willamette Valley’s tribal homelands to transport viewers to a land devoid of post-colonial marks. He hopes his infrared photography “imbues the work with a sense of disquiet and other worldliness … suggesting a presence beyond the present.”

Amanda Thomas

Mt. Shasta, California artist Amanda Thomas works in a variety of visual media and teaches at the College of the Siskiyous. In “Witness: Earth & Sky,” she documents abandoned mining sites, displaying both 2- and 3-dimensional art. Her sculptures, which are glazed with acid mine drainage and soil samples from mining sites, call to mind rock formations and ancient artifacts, and her black and white photographs support the the ceramic pieces by providing a sense of place. She says of her work: “I hope to spark conversations about mining’s environmental impact, the role of mining in society, and our overarching issues of consumption, profit, and waste.”

Jennifer Bucheit

Intended for Single Use Only, by Jennifer Bucheit

Eugene artist Jennifer Bucheit, has shown her work throughout the US, including at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Bucheit uses post-consumer waste materials to comment on American consumerism, intertwining habitual consumer behavior with the everyday human condition. She collects paper packaging and photographs it in a still life setting. The resulting images are then printed directly on the interior side of the original packaging. Bucheit says that her work is intended to be “both aesthetically engaging and socially revealing, challenging conventional ideas of what [is] considered art and what [is] considered expendable.”

 

 

Ralf Huber

The Chimney Sweeper, by Ralf Huber

Springfield artist Ralf Huber was born in Switzerland and moved from Europe to the US in 2003. After 25 years of designing commemorative coins, Huber turned to making his own art in 2020. His work has been displayed in various West Coast venues. Huber addresses social issues, especially the horrors of child labor, using worn, weathered, and repurposed found objects in his mixed media creations. He hopes his work serves as a “reminder of the collective responsibility we bear to protect the innocence … of our youth” so their future is not sacrificed for the sake of economic expediency.

 

 

Maude Kerns Art Center

Where: 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene (corner of 15th and Villard streets)

Regular gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday during exhibits

Information: Telephone 541-345-1571 or online at mkartcenter.org

Above: photograph by Amanda Thomas