Jody Olcott | Apotheosis

November 6 - 28, 2021
Reception: Saturday, November 6, 2 - 5 pm

Laysan Honey Creeper | Endemic to the island of Laysan widespread habitat destruction was the catalyst of their demise; the final act being a violent storm, in which what were considered the final three individuals were killed, declared extinct in 1923.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, guano and feather harvesters killed thousands of birds. In addition, European hares and guinea pigs were introduced to the island, and quickly consumed nearly all vegetation on the island, including nectar sources for the Laysan honeycreeper. All these events led to the rapid decline of the ecosystem on Laysan. These events caused a public outcry, which led President Theodore Roosevelt to declare the Northwestern Hawaiian Island chain a bird sanctuary in 1909.

oil and gold leaf on panel, 18h x 16w x 1.5d inches

“Apotheosis,” Jody Miller Olcott’s second solo exhibition at Morpeth Contemporary features diverse animal species that serve as beautiful messengers of a difficult reality: We find ourselves in one of the most explosive extinction episodes in history. 

Like "Requiem," Olcott’s 2017 solo show at Morpeth that introduced this series, "Apotheosis" reveals extinct – recognizable by their gold halos – and critically-endangered animals. Olcott’s religion is nature, and her deification of these species is her very personal way of paying respect to them, and bringing broader awareness to the plight of the animal kingdom.

Delving further into these animals’ stories, the show also reveals their protectors – from Saint Francis of Assisi to today’s scientists – and their original natural habitats. Connecting the animals from around the world is the thread of human actions determining their fate -- in some cases, extinction; in others, successful breeding and repopulation.

Olcott begins by selecting the animals. This show includes the Barbary Lion (North Africa), the Asiatic Cheetah (Iran), the Passenger Pigeon (North America), and the Harlequin Frog (Costa Rica/Panama).  She then departs from the tradition of Byzantine icons to create altarpiece-inspired environments, using salvaged wood from church organs, shipping molds, and discarded furniture. Some of the wood environments echo their inhabitants, such as the animal-footed table legs used to contain the cheetah, and some of the painted settings reveal features of the animals’ original home countries. Most striking, however, are the gold halos that signal these animals’ extinction, and the “lifelike” detail with which Olcott paints their distinct coats, feathers, poses, and faces.

What Olcott also captures in this series are the animals that conservation efforts are reintroducing to us. Such is the case with Guam kingfisher, for example, a once common bird on that island that found itself prey to a human-introduced invasive snake. It became extinct in the wild for 30 years but stands ready to be released back into the wild after intensive breeding efforts in the U.S.

Throughout the show is a message to support ongoing efforts to protect animals, serve as stewards ourselves, and focus, as Henry Paulson puts it, “as much on the exquisite beauties of this earth as on its staggering losses.”

VIEW THE EXHIBITION ONLINE

Robert Beck

Recent Work | October 9 - 31, 2021

PREVIEW THE EXHIBITION… Robert Beck will be at the gallery Thursday, October 7, 4:00 to 7:00 pm and Friday, October 8, 2:00 to 5:00 pm
Please contact the gallery to arrange a private appointment to see the exhibition… EMAIL: info@morpethcontemporary.com, PHONE: 609-333-9393

Gallery hours (no appointment necessary) Wednesday - Saturday, 11 - 6 + Sunday, 12 - 5
View the exhibition online

For three decades, Beck has been an integral part of the Bucks County art community, both as a leader and an iconoclast.  Chief Curator Laura Igoe at the The Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA, which is currently presenting a retrospective of Becks career, titled: It’s Personal, the Art Of Robert Beck, refers to his paintings as “Highly relatable to all of us.”

The Exhibition at Morpeth includes both the studio images and work from life that have been the foundation of Beck’s celebrated reputation.  “You know right away they are Robert’s paintings, “says gallery owner Ruth Morpeth, who first showed Beck in 1997, “but each exhibition reveals an expansion of depth and eloquence.”  

The three principle focuses of Beck’s work are represented; at Morpeth: Maine, New York City, and the Bucks-Hunterdon region.  The subjects range widely but comfortably, tethered by a strong personal connection to the viewer.  David Leopold, who guest-curated Beck’s Michener show, refers to the artist creating a “community with viewers, using a shared experience as a bond.” “Beck’s paintings seem truly finished only when they are being seen,” he says, adding, “He taps into our psyche.”

Robert Beck was an honored artist at the annual Phillips Mill Show, a legacy artist for New Hope Arts Center, was awarded the Philadelphia Sketch Club Medal for Contribution to the Arts, and elected a signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists.

It’s Personal: The Art of Robert Beck
Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA | July 30, 2021 - January 2, 2022
visit the Michener Museum website for further information

Robert Beck describes his artistic journey in this video made in conjunction with his retrospective exhibition...