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Date:
May 23 through June 20,2009 |
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| Exhibit Description: |
| Unearthed Meaning |
John Donovan is a sculptor who moved to Nashville from New Orleans. His medium of choice is clay; chosen for its accessibility and familiarity to viewers and also because of the traditional expectations associated with ceramics as a “craft medium.” Unearthed Meaning incorporates his fascination with the innocence of toys and popular culture with timeworn museum objects from Pre-Columbian and Japanese Haniwa art objects.
At initial inspection these pieces appears light-hearted, even reminiscent of dolls or childhood action figures but a narrative thread can be drawn through these pieces, casting characters as warriors, heroes, soldiers, deities and adversaries. The human propensity toward violence and war is one of the motivators for this work, as is my desire to invite members of my community to engage in self-reflection. The work is ultimately to enjoy, and hopefully to make viewers think a bit.
In addition to Zeitgeist solo shows and numerous group exhibitions John Donovan has received developmental grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission, lectured at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and has been featured in the 3rd World Ceramic Biennale International Competition, Icheon, South Korea. He is currently teaching sculpture at Middle Tennessee State University.
For more information, please contact Lain York or Janice Zeitlin at 615.256.4805. Zeitgeist gallery is located in Hillsboro Village and is open 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday.
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