Sunday, February 4, 3-5pm
Free to CMCA members; others with admission

Join us for an engaging talk with artists Jackie Brown, Jonathan Mess and Aaron T Stephan discussing their work in the exhibition Materiality | The Matter of Matter. Stay after the talk for further conversation and refreshments.

Jackie Brown’s work stems from an interest in nature, science, and living systems. It is especially compelled by the idea that nature is malleable, that it can shift and adapt with limitless possibilities for growth, movement, and transformation. An important undercurrent is the human manipulation of living systems through advances in bioengineering and experiments combining or altering the basic components of nature. With this in mind, Brown (Bath, ME) creates imagined biological systems in which it is often intentionally difficult to tell if the forms are healthy or harmful.

Embracing risk and the unknown, Jonathan Mess (Newcastle, ME) creates his sculptures and wall slabs by slowly pouring layers of colored casting slip and various reclaimed materials—slop clay, cast-aside glazes, discarded and broken work—into manipulated cardboard box molds, resulting in objects that deliver monumental impact on a restrained scale. Constantly pushing his materials and processes into new territory, he has developed a low waste making system that articulates his concern for the environment and furthers the overall ceramic conversation regarding sustainability.

Aaron T Stephan (Portland, ME) presents a wry look at the world around him in his diverse body of work—focusing on the complex web of information carried by everyday materials and objects. His art, whether in two- or three-dimensions, often plays with scale or multiples and has taken form as a twenty-foot high table and chairs, a shelter made entirely of books, and a series of drawings reproducing iconic artworks ad infinitum.

Exhibition sponsor: 250 Main Hotel | Media Sponsor: Maine Public