‘Sci-Fi Sufism’
"Praying A.N.G.E.L.S." (foam print), by Saks Afridi, in his show ""SpaceMosque,'' at the Brattleboro (Vt.) Museum & Art Center, through Oct. 19.
He explains:
“My work exists in a genre I term as ‘Sci-Fi Sufism’, which is about discovering galaxies and worlds within yourself. I try to visualize this search by fusing mysticism and storytelling. I make art objects in multiple mediums and I draw inspiration from Sufi poetry, South Asian folklore, Islamic mythology, science fiction, architecture and calligraphy.’’
‘The idea of the Sublime’
“American Beauty 22,’’ by Lily Prince, in the group show “In Nature’s Grasp,’’ at the Brattleboro (Vt.) Museum and Art Center, March 16-June 16.
The museum says:
“In his 1757 work A Philosophical Enquiry, the statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke considered the concept of the Sublime, noting that certain experiences supply a kind of thrill, mixing fear and delight. Burke declared the Sublime to be the strongest human passion, powerful enough to transform the self. He noted in particular the experiences and sensations elicited by nature. Burke’s thinking challenged the rhetoric that centered human experience in religion. The idea of the Sublime became closely associated with the Romantic art movement of the 19th Century.
“Nature has long existed as the subject of artists’ interpretation. The 11 artists featured in ‘In Nature’s Grasp’’ approach nature both literally and abstractly, inviting viewers to step into their unique interpretations. Some of the artists work with landscape imagery, while others conjure ideas of nature through textures, shapes, and color, or through an aspect of their process.’’
Icy ingenuity
What the “Artful Ice Shanties’’ exhibit of the Brattleboro (Vt.) Museum & Art Center will look like during the Feb. 17-25 event — if it’s cold enough.
The museum says:
“The show is is a place-based celebration of artistic talent, creative ingenuity, and the rich history of ice fishing in New England. The Artful Ice Shanties will be displayed at Retreat Meadows, the ice across the street from Retreat Farm (45 Farmhouse Square, Brattleboro).
“Visitors are welcome from dawn to dusk. Park at Retreat Farm, stop in at the welcome hut near the farmhouse, and then head out onto the ice to see the shanties.
“On Saturday, February 24, at 3 p.m., join us for an Awards Ceremony, where a panel of local judges will give out an array of light-hearted awards.
“This is the fourth year of Artful Ice Shanties. Prior year’s entries have included:
“ — Namaskônek, a shanty inspired by the Algonquin ancestors of the region
“ — A glass box that used recycled lenses to simulate the experience of the northern lights
“ — A shanty by third and fourth graders that displayed animals’ winter survival strategies
“ — An enormous black die with moon-shaped dots
“ — A shanty that doubled as a working camera obscura
“ — A shanty in the shape of a giant fish.
“Check out these photos from 2021, 2022, and 2023.
“This project was inspired in part by Art Shanty Projects in Minneapolis.”
'Pause and acknowledge'
From Brownsville, Vt.-based artist Lela Jaacks’s show “micro/tele SCOPE,’’ at the Brattleboro (Vt.) Museum through Oct. 31
She says:
‘“My work gives viewers a glimpse of how I observe my surroundings, both natural and handmade. I share these glimpses through tangible creations, made from both gathered natural artifacts and handmade forms. The size and shape of the resulting works of art are as important to me as the placement of their composite forms. A language becomes present within the sculpture; the forms converse with one another based on their shapes and the amount of space between them. These relationships fascinate me.’’
I work with various materials, including metal, wood, concrete, glass, acrylic, and found natural artifacts. This allows me the freedom to express the quality of form that is appropriate for each piece. The thread that weaves my work together is the language of patterning, which embraces the expansive and the miniature simultaneously. Through pattern, space, texture, light, and color, I encourage viewers to pause and acknowledge beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed.’’
