Three-dimensional artists Michael Anthony Smith, academic lab manager for Marshall University’s School of Art and Design, and Rick Wolhoy, sculpture studio technician, will present a joint exhibition of their work at Gallery 842 in Huntington beginning Friday, Jan. 18.
The exhibit, separately titled 60’ 6” for Smith and Anthropometry for Wolhoy, opens at 6 p.m. Friday with a reception, which is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Smith, of Huntington, is an adjunct professor in the School of Art and Design and full time safety/shop technician in the Art Warehouse. Wolhoy, of Ashland, Ky., is a Marshall University alumnus and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Art and Design.
Both artists create work primarily in three dimensions, although they are not limited to specific sculptural media.
Smith investigates the fluid, shifting recollections of his childhood by presenting recognizable forms in an altered scale, combination, material or setting. “At the age of 12, a baseball crushed my skull and I suffered a catastrophic brain injury. The unifying focus of my study is the concept of memory and childhood,” Smith said.
“Wagons Gone Wild” by Michael Anthony Smith (2011, digital print, 24″ x 36″) and “The Prodigal” by Rick Wolhoy (2011; Wood, Stainless Steel, Dry Pigment in Resin; 9’x4’x4′) are among the works on display at Gallery 842 starting Jan. 18.
Wolhoy grew up in a family dedicated to construction and real estate development, and very quickly connected to the materials of three-dimensional design. “The pieces in this series (Anthropometry) consist of wood sculptures combined with other media, displayed in conjunction with paintings on canvas,” Wolhoy said. “Both the sculptural and two-dimensional components are proportionate to, or even larger than the human figure, thus creating a physical space that the viewer can experience.”
“In addition to the obvious command of materials, both artists display an impressive ability to manipulate space. Each creates dynamic work that is interactive, experiential, and challenges us to think about our physical environment,” said John Farley, director of the gallery.
60’ 6” and Anthropometry will be on display until Feb. 22. Gallery 842, located at 842 4th Ave. in Huntington, is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m.
