Structural Findings exhibition opens in University Gallery

January 8, 2016

Georgia Southern University’s Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art presents Structural Findings Jan. 11 to Feb. 12 on-campus in the University Gallery of the Center for Art & Theatre. The exhibition includes an artist lecture Thursday, February 11 at 5 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building, room 2071, followed immediately by an artist reception in the gallery. The events are free, and the public is welcome.

Structural Findings features work from Georgia Southern University alumnae Jean Gray Mohs and Lois Harvey. It is a collection of mixed media work and ceramic sculptures that explore the idea of structures, in material and in concept. The exhibition examines the new routines, patterns and relationships that materialize after a pivotal shift in one’s life and offers a tangible representation of how changes in one’s perspective determines his or her perception of the world.

“These artworks attempt to capture and reconcile the transformations that shifted in my role within society after becoming a mother,” Mohs wrote. “The works represent two intersecting and overlapping planes of disharmonic, ethereal space within the framework of an architectural place. The precise use of material and movement is meant to pair a confined isolated space within a more expansive atmospheric place. The resulting architectural landscapes depict a richly layered composition that invites the viewer to look within.”

Harvey uses her ceramic sculptures to translate an intangible physiological experience with the inherently tangible material of clay. She develops three-dimensional drawings using clay as her vocabulary to describe psychological structures we build to contain, store, and recall the memories, experiences, and interactions that make life meaningful. Harvey writes “This past year I transitioned into a new community after moving fromGeorgia to Philadelphia. This work represents my desire to understand and record how the structures of my relationships and identity have changed through this life experience.”

Gallery Director Jason Hoelscher says, “We are excited to present the work of two such accomplished Georgia Southern alumnae. While their works are compelling individually, when teamed together they highlight and articulate one another very interestingly, creating a dialogue between ways of mark-making in both two and three dimensions.”

Mohs received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2002 and a Masters of Art in Teaching in 2008 and currently is an active artist residing in North Carolina. Her work has been seen in Southern Living, Traditional Home and has been shown around the world. She recently released her first illustrated children’s book, Mamalu’s Secrets, which can be found at amazon.com.

Lois Harvey is from Statesboro, Georgia and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Georgia Southern University in 2014. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she has been an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center for Art. She lives and makes work in Philadelphia and is on the staff of The Clay Studio, a non-profit ceramic arts education institution.