Turning Junk, Er, Discarded Industrial Materials Into Art

Many thanks to Amy Roth, the City of Aurora's Public Information Officer, for giving us the heads up on this artsy event. It's called Transformations and it is a group show of sculptures, photographs and paintings focusing on discarded industrial materials from the urban culture and objects found in natural environments. To put it simply: one man's garbage is another man's art exhibit.

The artists of these works include: Shelley Gilchrist, Peter N. Gray, Alan Emerson Hicks, Ruyell Ho, Beth Kamhi, Jim MacRoberts, Bill Moll, Mimi Peterson, Robert Putnam, Eric H. Steele, and Michelle Stone. They all got together and took turns writing alternating words to come up with this statement:

"In sculpture, a new art piece may be created using bits and fragments of discarded material, such as iron and steel scraps, odd aluminum pieces, rusted metal, wire, leather, glass, plastic bottles, architectural stone pieces, glacial drift stones, and leftover wood pieces. In two-dimensional work, painting, for example, the content is influenced by and thus transformed by the various materials used."

The Transformations show will be on display at the Aurora Public Art Commission (20 East Downer Place) where they will host an opening reception on Friday, February 5 from 5pm to 7:30pm. (The exhibit continues until 5/21/2010) The reception will also feature music by guitarist John Ivan and a trunk show highlighting hand-crafted jewelry created by Laura Nicholson-Tom and Carolyn Krainak.

I've seen John Ivan play at the Hotel Baker in St. Charles so rest assured your ears will be well entertained. Your eyes? You'll have to see for yourself.