About the Author

Hello everyone! My name is Nina, I am here at the gallery as a curator-in-training, and a second year art history student in university, learning about all things art. I am so excited to learn, and be involved in the gallery and art sphere as a whole!! I love writing, and hope to make a fun space in this little corner of the site where fellow students can read about current exhibits at the lovely gallery, take a little break from responsibilities to hang out, and have a fun chat. I love all art, but my favorites are everything mythological—norse, slavic, greek, etc— plus styles like surrealism and impressionism! Not visual art related, but I also love to read, I love alternative music, and I am hugely obsessed with any and all horror media, so feel free to talk to me about anything above. Happy reading!

Current Exhibit: Echoes of Expression

The new exhibit which runs to the end of the month, Echoes of Expression, is a fascinating sculpture show by the artist Mike Blom, where he shows a wonderful range of sculptures made of materials like various types of wood, leather, wires, glass for eyes, battery powered lights, and even recycled materials such as old umbrella framework, and a plastic water bottle. The usage of materials that all have a relation to nature is quite interesting to me, mainly the inclusion of both things that come from nature, and things that have the ability to harm nature. It’s an interesting commentary about the plentiful resources we have on our planet, and how we should be conscious in taking care of it! But also using all we have around us to our advantage, of course. For example, the piece, Current Trend ‘Save’ Water, shows a hand shooting upwards from what appears to be a body of water, holding a plastic bottle. The motion looks to be retrieving the bottle, as if it was looking for trash in said body of water— maybe it’s a lake— and cleaning it up, and has resurfaced with this bottle. What is interesting also, is the bottle is sealed, but it still has water in it, giving the piece even more dimension and detail than it already has. It shows that we should all be cleaning up for ourselves, and if we see littering out in nature, it would be kind to the planet to take a second and pick it up to properly dispose of it. What I also love about these works, is how the artist puts a pun in the title. As you can see, “save water” is meant as preserving our natural streams, rivers, oceans, and lakes, but it is also meant as literally saving water— as in, this bottle of water might have been drowning and was saved. It adds a bit of lighthearted humor to a very important message! Makes it impactful and memorable.

More on the central theme though, each one of his works is full of intrigue, whimsy, and a surrealism that is rarely seen nowadays. They are not only gorgeous but they make the viewer think. Especially the largest pieces, Bliss, Guitar Stan/Julio, Player/Otto, and Moody. Each one has unique features too, Moody with the characteristic moveable eyes, Julio with the real playable guitar, Otto not having a head, making you question the identity of the mysterious player and letting the viewer’s imagination run wild— all features that separate the works from an outright realistic copy of life, but they create this dreamlike atmosphere— especially when you take a stroll around the gallery and see all of the works standing proud in harmony together. It’s like you walked straight into a fairy tale, something like Alice in Wonderland. It is so hard to not rave about every single work of Mike Blom’s, because each one oozes personality and a character that can be felt the moment you lay eyes on it. Like Woody Stoneface, the way the branch is naturally shaped like his outstretched hands, the proud lean back, the tipping of the hat- it’s so cute!

Mike Blom’s woodwork is also something one can’t ignore. On his charcuterie boards or the maple leaf wall decor or the Piano Mouth series, the woodwork is expertly carved, it is smooth and polished and truly a timeless piece to display in your home. He also lets the natural colors of the wood take center stage, making striking combinations such as the deep color of purple heart juxtaposed with light maple, or the berry jam color of padauk wood with the cooler tone of black limba, and even letting the beautiful stripes of aromatic cedar shine on its own! All of the work serves as a reminder that there is beauty all around us, and that nature should not be overlooked, as well as appreciated and taken care of as our roommate on this planet. Mike Blom will have his artist talk at the gallery on Saturday October 18th, 1-3pm, where guests are invited to discuss and observe and connect. Hope to see you there!!