Exhibitions

Earth/Heaven
Heaven/Earth

March 6 - April 5, 2020

Bruce M. Sherman

Press Release

Nicelle Beauchene is pleased to present Earth/Heaven Heaven/Earth, an exhibition of new sculptures by Bruce M. Sherman. This is his second solo presentation with the gallery.

Trees, prayful hands, bowls, and eyes appear in nearly all of the works in the exhibition. These recurring motifs string together a narrative that, for the artist, may center the mind and senses toward prayer. Grounding the exhibition is a series of trees: growing out of hulking black, purple, and green glazed rocks, the solitary trees echo bonsai in their neat and miniature forms. Faithful to the artist’s playful spirit however, eyes sporadically cover the delicately glazed canopies and trunks. Pink hands with bowls in their upward-stretching palms also grow out of the ceramic islands. Above the central Tree Number 6 (Searching for the Finer Energies of Heaven), a delicate pink forearm with bowl floats down from the ceiling, searching to connect with the hand extending from below.

Sherman’s trees draw upon the deep histories and meanings associated with the varied life form; as connectors between heaven and earth, the tree expresses at once groundedness and a reaching upwards toward higher energies. Nearby, Sherman’s interpretations of Constantin Brancusi’s Endless Column (1918) further suggest the bridging of the ground and skies, and like the trees, are covered in all-seeing eyes.

At the front of the gallery a series of six large-scale, wheel-thrown vases are displayed together on a shelf, each a variation in form and decoration. Emphasizing his nuanced and experimental glazing techniques and consistent visual language, these vases demonstrate Sherman’s deeply rooted commitment to the traditions of pottery, decoration, and art history.

Earth/Heaven Heaven/Earth’s sole figure—constructed from clay cylinders and decorated with pink raindrops—oversees the gallery from a low-lying plinth. Resting on its knees with arms crossed, head bowed slightly, the character quietly prays. Titled The Possibilities of Prayer, the figure expresses concern and hope for ecological balance between all forms of life on Earth.

Bruce M. Sherman lives and works in New York. He has held solo exhibitions at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York; White Columns, New York; South Willard, Los Angeles; Kaufmann Repetto, Milan; and Sorry We’re Closed, Brussels (two person). Sherman has been included in group exhibitions at Aldrich Contemporary, Ridgefield, CT; The Power Station, Dallas, TX; Marianne Boesky Gallery, Brennan and Griffin, Front Desk Apparatus, and Regina Rex, New York, NY; Cooper Cole, Toronto, ON; Adams and Ollman, Portland, OR; Museo Regional Michoacano, Morelia, Mexico; Thomas Duncan Gallery and The Pit, Los Angeles, CA; among others. Work by Sherman is currently included in Object & Thing presented at the Independent Art Fair, and an exhibition of his work will open at The Journal, New York in May.

For further information, please contact gallery@nicellebeauchene.com