Throughout history, humans have coveted material things that are luxurious, rich in color or texture, adorned with gemstones and other rare materials, and meticulously crafted: in short, opulent objects.
Three artists offer their versions of opulence in an exhibit titled The Opulent Object: Tapestries by Jon Riis with Sculpture by Richard Mafong and Mike Harrison, to be displayed Oct. 3 – Jan. 5, 2014 at the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum. More than 40 tapestries and 20 sculptures are featured in the exhibition.
Internationally known fiber artist Jon Riis creates tapestries using techniques dating to antiquity, many of them using precious materials such as metallic and silk thread, or with added embellishments of freshwater pearls, crystal and coral beads. His works frequently display a wry sense of humor and irony. For example, his three-dimensional Deadly Treat is a woven depiction of a wrapped Chinese candy that was reported to contain harmfully high amounts of melamine poisoning in 2008.
Riis is the recipient of numerous awards, including two National Endowment for the Arts grants and a Fulbright grant. His tapestries are included in many museums’ permanent collections, including The Louvre, the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Craft Museum in New York and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Museum of Art in Washington DC.
Sculptors Richard Mafong and Mike Harrison worked collaboratively to design and create the metal and metal-wood objects in the exhibition. Though these luxurious objects were initially created from elemental materials, they have been made opulent by the addition of gemstones, rare woods, gold and silver. The artists’ works reference myths, beliefs and ideals of past cultures and examine issues of identity, life, and the human condition.
Richard Mafong is Professor Emeritus of Jewelry and Metalsmithing at Georgia State University. His works have been exhibited at museums and institutions throughout North America and abroad, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and the High Museum in Atlanta.
Mike Harrison fabricates patterns for the cast-metal industry. He creates art works made of wood or a combination of wood and other materials such as metal, plastic, silicone, epoxy and fiberglass. Such objects often form the molds for cast-metal production items used in automation, aerospace and agricultural equipment. Besides the works in this collection, Mafong and Harrison have created many works for private and institutional commissions.
The artists will give gallery talks at the opening reception to be held from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3. Free to members and $10 per person for non-members. Regular gallery hours are from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 – 4 p.m. Sundays.