Janis Stemmermann “Tree to Tree”
Planthouse
This event has ended.
The sun was setting behind the large forest, and in its light the little birches scattered among the aspens were distinctly outlined with their hanging branches and buds swollen to bursting. From a thicket in which there was still snow came the barely audible sound of water trickling in narrow meandering streams. Small birds chirped and occasionally flew from tree to tree.
–Anna Karenina by Tolstoy
Planthouse is pleased to present Tree to Tree featuring recent work by Janis Stemmermann.
Artist statement
Recently I purchased a property in northwest Connecticut that has required a lot of attention inside and out. As trees were cut to tame the landscape, I put them in piles saving them for potential future use. Embarking on this new body of work, I started with a quote from Rachel Carson, It’s not so important to know as to feel. I carved these words on the inside of a bowl of wet clay and after fired, printed the quote by pushing the paper into the concave surface with my hands to take impressions. As I continued to throw forms on the wheel, I pulled some of the saved trees onto my studio. I came across a passage from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina describing winter melting into spring and printed it onto a tree laying on the floor which I had propped up with a ceramic vessel. The interplay between the domestic vessels, the trees and the text began to take shape, blending inside and out.
Janis Stemmermann is a sculptor, collaborative printmaker, and textile designer.
Born in Neptune, NJ 1963 and raised in New Hampshire. Received a BFA in sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1986. Attended the Alliance of Independent Colleges of Art New York Studio Program in 1985. Awarded artist residency fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, the Tyrone Guthrie Center in Ireland and is a recipient of Pollack Krasner artist grant.
Janis is the Creative Director and master printmaker in a Brooklyn-based project space called Russell Janis. There she collaborates on multi-medium projects with various artists. Her personal studio practice takes a craft-based approach, incorporating ceramics, printmaking and textiles, while drawing inspiration from themes of the domestic and landscape.
Stemmermann has been based in Brooklyn, NY since 1988 and currently divides her time between Brooklyn, NY and Sharon, CT.
Media
Schedule
from December 03, 2020 to January 17, 2021