Robyn Horn and Sandra Sell's work stands boldly at the intersection of art and craft. Creating unexpected forms from reclaimed wood, power tools, paintbrushes and canvas, these friends and artists independently create inspiring outcomes. Viewers can expect to see over 20 sculptural works on an architectural scale and paintings that illuminate their processes, including several pieces created exclusively for the exhibition. Presented in our Joy Pratt Markham Gallery with selections by local curator Kathy P. Thompson, this exhibition celebrates the legacy of women who live and create in Arkansas.
The gallery is open now through April 21, 10 am – 2 pm weekdays and 60 minutes before most performances. The opening reception is Feb. 1 from 6 – 8 pm. You have three opportunities to hear directly from the artists during two gallery walk throughs, Thursday, April 4 at 1 pm and Friday, April 5 at 1 pm and a creative conversation on Thursday, April 4 at 7 pm.
We asked both Horn and Sell a few questions to get more insight into their artwork and the exhibition that will be showcased.
Sandra Sell:
How did you get started as an artist?
At an early age I felt the desire to be an artist knowing I needed a way to support myself I joined the Army. Upon completing a career in the military, I relocated to Arkansas where I earned a Master of Arts in art from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
How will the paintings and sculptures relate in this exhibit?
All my pieces begin as a sketch, these sketches are not locked into being 2-D or 3-D, though they may have initially started as one or the other. A single sketch can become the base design for multiple pieces. Graphite for drawing, oil for painting and carving for sculpture, it all comes down to mark making.
What is one thing you want people to know about this exhibit?
That it is an honor to show with Robyn, I have the utmost respect for her willingness to introduce the subtractive carving process to me. Having another artist to discuss thoughts and techniques aids in continued progress, sometimes it is as simple as “are you in the shop today?” I truly hope our passion for the process shows through the work.
Robyn Horn:
How you get started as an artist?
My career began with my fascination with wood. I started working on the lathe making things round. Soon after that I started carving the wood and gravitated more toward sculpture. My mother and my sister are painters, so being creative was encouraged in my family. I feel very lucky to have been able to make work for so long. It’s a very satisfying thing to be able to create things that have never existed before, things that I have designed and developed throughout my long career.
How did the two of you start working together?
Sandi saw a video that I had made that showed my process of carving a large redwood sculpture. She was getting toward the end of finishing her degree at UALR and she asked if she could come and visit me at my studio. We hit if off immediately and we began working together. At first, she was helping me with some of the larger carving, but soon she was making her own work and now we complement each other with ideas and concepts that we are both interested in, but which develop differently, each with our own style.
How will the paintings and sculptures relate in this exhibit?
I started making sculpture in the late 80’s. I didn’t begin to paint until about 2006. After painting for a few years, I looked back on my work and was surprised how much my paintings related to my sculptures. Both had a geometric look to them, both had layers with texture, so much so that the paintings almost looked three-dimensional. I had been working so long making wood sculpture that I had developed an artistic aesthetic that had transferred from my 3-D work to my 2-D work. I think they are related to each other.
What do you hope viewers take away from this exhibit?
There are so many good artists in the region that we are honored to be asked to show our work at the Walton Art Center. Ideally the viewers who come to the exhibition will see something inspirational they have never seen before, and hopefully it will be something that interests them long enough for them to spend some time with some of the work. We will be at the opening reception on February 1 from 6-8pm and at the Artist Walk-through April 4 at 1pm, a Creative Conversation in Walker Atrium April 4 at 7pm, and another Artist Walk-through April 5 at 1pm and will welcome questions about the exhibit.
What is one thing you want people to know about this exhibit?
I feel very lucky to have been making art for so long. It has been very unusual to meet someone who has an interest in the same techniques I have, and who has applied the processes I use to create her own work that is dissimilar to my own. Sandi has gotten to the point where she has developed some new processes in addition to the ones I have used, and our shared interest in art is something I value greatly. We have grown from mentor and mentee to artists on an equal level, and this exhibit shows the results of that over the past 13 years. It also shows that artists can work in more than one medium (carved wood and painting) and develop work that is successful.
Come see this free exhibition at Walton Arts Center and learn more about these Arkansas artists at robynhorn.com and sandrasell.com. Both artists also have work available at Justus Fine Art in Hot Springs.
