In keeping with the vision of the gallery, the Fellow Creatures exhibit in the main room at the Clymer Museum/Gallery presents the articulate elements in man’s relationship with animals in our coexistence in this world.
Humans have documented, exploited, and repurposed nature and its inhabitants, curator Matthew Lennon said. This is evident in our domestication of animals, our awe of the wild and how these species have been mythologized. Even as many are disappearing from our landscape, he said.
This particular body of work by four different artists touches and exhibits that relationship. Artists Sue Coccia, Tanna Scott, Moira Turner and Molly Hashimotto bring the room to life.
“In keeping with the museum’s vision of showing people who are looking at the elements of design and passion,” he said. “I love the fact they are different in presentation, anything from watercolor to pen and ink to block print and watercolor.”
Animals throughout history have been repeatedly push into and out of human environments as entertainment, signs of stature and dominance.
Coccia’s work is with pen and ink and acrylic on paper. While Turner’s painted skulls grabs the eye in a different way with a constant source of energy. Scott uses oil paint on canvas to bring out the colors and flavor in a traditional sense. Hashimotto’s block print and watercolor is unique unto itself.
“Block printing is hard enough. It’s very complete and if you look at any one painting, you’re going to notice other animals forming,” Lennon said. “It’s very intricately designed. If you stand at a distance, you’re going to see the image, but then wait a minute, there’s something all together different.”
As it does throughout the gallery, the energy of the west comes out through the eyes of the animals, bringing to life a certain kindred spirit. It just seems to fit with the display of John Clymer’s work in the adjacent room.
“It’s very engaging, I think, for anybody,” Lennon said. “Moira Turner’s skulls create a little more interrelationship in the gallery.”
