Jon Barlow Hudson, John Saile, & Art Books Cleveland

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve

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• Date Thursday, July 11, 2024 - Saturday, August 24, 2024
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Founded in 1996 by notable Cleveland sculptor David E. Davis and eight other prominent Ohio artists, including Shirley Aley Campbell and Patricia Zinsmeister Parker, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) emerged from a shared vision. Recognizing the risk... more

Opening Receptions for all three exhibitions: Thursday July 11, 5:30 – 8:00pm

The Artists Archives is excited to continue our summer exhibitions with explorations in 2D and 3D space through solo exhibitions from Archived Artists Jon Barlow Hudson, and John Saile, as well as a group show from Art Books Cleveland. Incarnations, Jon Barlow Hudson; Relative Maximum, John Saile; and Book Art Uncovered, Art Books Cleveland, will all grace our gallery walls July 11 – August 24.

Jon Barlow Hudson, who was archived in 2017, is an extraordinarily successful sculptor, who has completed over one hundred public commissions located throughout the United States and internationally. One such commission was for the World Expo 88 in Brisbane, Australia: Paradigm a 100-foot-high sculpture which took 5 months to complete. The other Expo commissioned sculpture; Polaris has a sister work. Morning Star, that is part of our Case Western Reserve University Campus. Each work is composed of polished stainless steel using geometry to create optical illusions, bending and reflecting light to mirror the surroundings as part of the sculpture.

While his early works were typically made of stainless steel, brass, cast bronze, glass, water and fiber optic light, Hudson’s study of Tai Chi later refocused his work on more natural materials like stone, which he now employs symbolically in works using it as a contrast to man-made materials. On display will be smaller works from the AAWR collection often made as maquettes for the larger works. Some photographs of commissioned pieces inspired by these smaller works will be displayed as well as a few newer works directly from Hudson’s Yellow Springs, Ohio studio.

John Saile came to art later in life and made up for lost time by producing a staggering amount of work in fifteen years. Self-described as leaning towards abstraction, he pushes boundaries in his art by working experimentally, often combining printmaking with painting and photography. Much of his work, including some very elegant black and white iterative digital studies on view from the AAWR collection, is very sculptural, and the juxtaposition of this work with Hudson’s creates a beautiful flow between the adjacent galleries. Saile’s self-professed goal when making art is to create work that maximizes visual stimulation. Underlying themes explore his personal memories, as well as the idea of using the bits and pieces of experience that make up the human “collective memory” that we all share on some level.

Art Books Cleveland is a community of book artists and friends who live and work in Northeast Ohio. It is dedicated to exploring, encouraging, and teaching both contemporary and traditional artistic practices of handmade books. They exhibit themed and retrospective exhibitions several times per year in a variety of venues and will be curating a group show, entitled Book Art Uncovered, of member’s work for the Archives.

Art Bites Programming to accompany the exhibition includes the following lectures, and events:

Professional Practices: Popup Book History & Making with Mark Soppeland

Wednesday, July 24th, 6:30 – 8:30pm A history of Pop-Up books and/or a workshop for creatives: learn how to make your own Pop-Up books during this fun and informative demonstration given by retired Akron University professor and artist, Mark Soppeland. In-person in the AAWR gallery. Eventbrite registration on artistsarchives.org, by phone 216.721.9020, or via info@artistsarchives.org

John Saile Artists Talk:

Saturday, August 10, 1pm – 2 pm

In-person in the AAWR gallery. Eventbrite registration on artistsarchives.org, by phone 216.721.9020, or via info@artistsarchives.org