One Peaceable Kingdom at Drawing Rooms, 9/19/24-10/26/24

“One Peaceable Kingdom" at Drawing Rooms, 9/19/24-10/26/24

Curated by Anne Trauben
By PE Pinkman
10/21/24

"One Peaceable Kingdom," curated by Anne Trauben, invites you into a vibrant exploration of peace and harmony through the lens of nature and animal life. Drawing inspiration from Edward Hicks' iconic "Peaceable Kingdom" paintings, of which there are 62 known versions, the collection of art on display features six diverse but thematically connected artists—Beth DiCara, Cheryl Hochberg, Claire McConaughy, Pat Brentano, Shelley Haven, and Terri Amig. The over 60 pieces in this exhibition, encompassing painting, ceramic sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and collage, immerse you in a lush, otherworldly or maybe preternatural landscape populated by animals, and natural environments, each piece acting as a conduit for compassion and unity.

You’ll be drawn in by the lushness and gaze of the four works inside the front entrance. I felt as if I’d entered an entirely different gallery. As a regular art viewer, I have formed ideas of what to expect from each of the spaces I frequent. For me, Drawing Rooms is an institution that typically prompts you to think deeply about what you’re viewing causing you to look over each work multiple times. From the moment one enters this exhibit, the visual experience and the soundscape of nature—animal calls and ambient sounds—envelops the space, creating an immersive quality of the experience. My first reaction was one of totality, rather than individuality. The auditory backdrop cleverly underscores the thematic core of the exhibition: a quest for pastoral tranquility and understanding in a world often marked by division.

Each artist in "One Peaceable Kingdom" brings a unique perspective to the overarching theme of peace through nature. The four initial pieces, a large-scale oil on canvas painting by Terri Amig, entitled, “A Delicate Balance”, gives us a direct painting of a sheep with two birds. This is combined with two wall sculptures, “Rabbit Head” and “Ram Head” by Beth DiCara, and Cheryl Hochberg’s, “I Will Protect You,” a large mixed media work on paper of two crows and a deer standing in a sort of halo, set the show up right out of the gate.

Terri Amig’s works evoke a profound emotional connection with the viewer. In pieces like the above-mentioned “A Delicate Balance” and "Amour," (seen later in the exhibit) her portrayals of a sheep and a deer gaze with gentle eyes, compel us to reflect on the tenderness inherent in the natural world. Similarly, her painting "Heavenly Bodies," with its regal sheep silhouetted against a biblical sunset, invites contemplation of not just beauty, but also a deeper, almost spiritual resonance. This same scene replaced by humans, often saints, has been repeated throughout history, only here the animals emote the transcendent centeredness.

Terri Amig, A Delicate Balance, 36 x 36 in, oil on canvas, 2022

Claire McConaughy’s work focuses on place rather than creature, seamlessly blending historical references to classic American landscape painting, but with a contemporary palette and brush work. Her large-scale pieces, such as "Meet Me at the Tree" and "Climbing the Hill," are dense with color and bravura texture, transporting the viewer into the heart of a vibrant, green forest. These works resonate with a sense of belonging, suggesting that we are all part of this interconnected natural tapestry, the same one we have been negatively transforming over these many years. For anyone who is a nature-lover, seeing these paintings will make you feel like you are swimming in the richness and color of the natural world.

Claire McConaughy, Meet Me At the Tree,
64 x 48 in, oil on canvas, 2023

Resonant of the many images we’ve all seen of dead animal busts in castles and grand homes, Beth DiCara’s creations challenge traditional representations of animals, invoking the aesthetic of hunting trophies while transforming them into symbols of kindness and respect. Her work cleverly subverts the notion of dominance over nature, presenting animals like a goofy bear or a regal giraffe as figures deserving admiration rather than conquest. The playful yet respectful tone in her mounted heads and self-standing sculptures invites viewers to reconsider their relationships with the animal world. In a manner like the stuffed animal artist Mike Kelley, DiCara deftly undermines the potential for these works to be seen as ‘cutesy’ by keeping them grounded in a rather gruesome past.

Beth DiCara, Rabbit head, 11 x 8 x 4 in,  ceramic, 2024

Cheryl Hochberg's pieces carry a mystical quality as seen in "I Will Protect," where a deer encircled in gold emanates a sense of grace and vulnerability. This piece, alongside others like "Bedfellows," seamlessly blends painting, printmaking, and collage, producing an ethereal atmosphere that encourages introspection about humanity's role in the animal kingdom. One of the real standouts in the show is also a Hochberg work. The piece titled “Redemption Woods,” is full of mystery, confrontation and contemplation, brought on by the unexpected and strong use of gold paint, strategically placed in the lower center and at the horizon. This work brings together three major elements of the show, beauty at the act of painting such a scene, fear at what may be lurking in such a dark wood and connection to an almost hidden animal that we feel both compelled towards and pushed away from. This is the ever-ongoing dilemma of modern man in the wilderness.

Cheryl Hochberg, Bedfellows, 60 x 40 in, watercolor on paper

Pat Brentano and Shelley Haven complement this narrative by emphasizing the intricacies of nature. Brentano’s intricate collages and drawings reveal the complexity of trees and landscapes. They are layered with natural imagery that both reveals and hides the details of this world. It’s hard not to be drawn into her web of twigs, branches and leaves. And without a doubt her ink works highlight her talented hand.

Pat Brentano, Buffy, 10 x 10 in, collage, 2024

Haven’s works invite viewers to traverse personal memories of nature’s beauty, serving as reminders of the fragility and resilience of the natural world and highlighting the need for empathy and understanding. They seem to show us the geology of the world in its form as a skin, full of age and cracks, but redolent of the beauty that comes with time and maybe wisdom.

Shelley Haven, Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone II, 36 x 36in, oil on panel, 2020

And as referenced previously, Terri Amig’s animals land us directly in the Peaceable Kingdom. We are presented with animals that are painted in such a way as to be open to us, to our yearnings for a friendly and accepting world of other creatures. Yet, I have to wonder if there isn’t a level on which their mostly neutral gazes cover over a general disdain of humankind. We are, after all, doing our level best to reduce what we have been given to a wasteland for both them and us. These animals confront us as much as they acknowledge us.

The exhibit operates on multiple levels, inviting viewers to engage with the artwork not just visually, but emotionally and intellectually. At its heart, "One Peaceable Kingdom" encourages contemplation of what it means to coexist harmoniously with nature and one another. Each piece acts as a conversation starter, prompting reflections on the broader implications of peace—whether it be through shared empathy for the animals portrayed or through an acknowledgment of our interconnectedness within the ecosystem.

The exhibition posits that animals, much like humans, navigate complex relationships of cooperation and conflict, urging viewers to foster compassion and understanding in their interactions with both nature and society.

"One Peaceable Kingdom" stands out as a thought-provoking and beautifully curated exhibition that successfully transports its audience into a realm of tranquility and reflection. The diverse styles and approaches of the featured artists create a rich tapestry that engages the senses and prompts critical thinking about peace in today’s tumultuous world.

The immersive environment, enhanced by the thoughtful soundscape, elevates the experience, allowing viewers to momentarily escape the stressors of daily life and enter a serene if potentially mundane space of contemplation. By weaving together themes of empathy, coexistence, and the beauty of the natural world, the exhibition not only honors the legacy of Hicks’ work, but also offers a fresh perspective on the urgent need for compassion in an increasingly divided society.

"One Peaceable Kingdom" is more than an art exhibition; it is a call to action, encouraging us to foster peace and understanding both within ourselves and in our interactions with the world around us. As we navigate our complex relationships with nature and each other, this exhibition serves as a poignant reminder of the beauty that arises from empathy, unity, and respect.

PE Pinkman is an artist, curator and the director of the Watchung Arts Center, a 501c3 non-profit. His artwork blends vibrant colors and dynamic forms to explore themes of identity and urban life, creating a striking dialogue between chaos and harmony. Learn more about PE here.

From a Tree Grows a Forest: an Exhibition Honoring Professor and Artist Edward S. Eberle, The Terrarium Gallery at Drawing Rooms, 3/1/24 - 4/13/24

Response to "From a Tree Grows a Forest: an Exhibition Honoring Professor and Artist Edward S. Eberle"
By Claire McConaughy

March 21, 2024

Edward S. Eberle 1944-2023

There are many influences on an artist’s body of work, but a foundation of encouragement, sharing, nurturing and love from a teacher can be the platform from which one’s creative work can truly rise. The exhibition “From a Tree Grows a Forest: an Exhibition Honoring Professor and Artist Edward S. Eberle” has at its heart, artworks made by Ed Eberle from the 1980s to 2017, and works from six of his former students who together pay tribute to their teacher and his influence on their art and lives. There is also a touching video made by his son, JPC Eberle, of the artist as he throws and forms the clay that he spent his life following. JPC's video features many closeups of Ed's hands forming sculpture which show his deep connection to clay that was more than a material; it was an extension of himself. Ed's former students in this exhibition are a sampling of the many artistic lives he touched during his time teaching at Carnegie-Mellon University, the Philadelphia College of Art and through his ceramic studio in Pittsburgh. Curated by Anne Trauben, the group of artworks show the connections between the teacher, students and true friends who respected and enriched each other’s lives in art.

The focus of the exhibition is Eberle’s unique ceramics. The featured pieces in this review range in size from a 4.5" x 15" x 15” shallow bowl to a vessel that is three feet tall and two feet wide. Eberle’s greater body of work includes explorations with drawings and very large ceramic sculptures that are shown in the catalog as being almost human size and having the presence of visitors in his studio. Eberle’s vessels are covered with stream of consciousness drawings of which he says “… I don’t have a specific story to tell. The story, if there is a story, is only seen after the piece is finished, but it won’t be one story, it will be many stories, if there’s a story at all.”1 With or without a specifically intended story, the drawings are complex and completely captivating. They scrawl across the curves and bumps of the surfaces, many figures interlaced and overlapping as if they are simultaneously depicting the past, present, future, and a disorienting fantasy world. The scratchy black terra sigillata and stain lines on matte grey-white porcelain clay are loose and uninhibited, covering the surfaces without logical sequence, and can be picked up in any area and followed in an unfolding narrative/non-narrative. Images are of figures (some have wings, or monk’s robes, or are multi-headed), patterns, men and women’s faces (some with halos or books for hats), animals, birds, and expressive marks and brushstrokes. They are derived from this world, but the world they exist in doesn’t rely on logic. 

Edward S. Eberle, Draw A Line With A Feather, porcelain,
terra sigillata, 8.5 x 5 x 5.5, 2019

Eberle’s works in the exhibition are mysterious and metaphysical the way “Alice in Wonderland” is disorienting and magical. A special version of this disorientation is shown by the porcelain sculpture “Complex” (2017). “Complex” is a simplified head with facial features entirely covered with scratchy black drawing that reminds one of old age wrinkles, facial tattoos, or an image of what someone could look like if the stories and people of their life were visible the first time you met them. There is a hole at the top of the head surrounded by black, which could be a portal to and from the inside of the head/sculpture/person and everything else/people/nature/God/the universe and back again.

Edward S. Eberle, Complex, front, side and back views, 2017,
9.5 x 7 x 8.5, porcelain, terra sigillata and stain

His drawing is key to his ceramics and several ink drawings on paper are also on view in the exhibition. One large ink drawing, “Landscape” (1990), shows Eberle’s expressive mark making bouncing across the paper in movements like animals playing or dancers in a more abstract expressionist style.

Edward S Eberle, Landscape, 29 x 40, paper, ink, acrylic, 1990

This is an opportunity to see Eberle’s mark-making shown in the stoneware piece, “Number Two” (1990), and “an Appearance” (late 1980s), as a pre-cursor to the surreal depictions in the more recent works.

Edward S. Eberle, Number Two, stoneware, terra sigillata, stain,
35 x 24 x 13, 1990

Edward S. Eberle, an Appearance, 4.5 x 15 x 15, porcelain,
terra sigillata, stain, late 1980s

The artistic and very deep connections Eberle made are evidenced by his six students’ artworks shown alongside his masterful ceramics. Both Graham Marks and Ian Thomas work in ceramic sculpture. Marks' pieces are painterly glazed candelabras that are wonky, and delightful. The pieces are made of ribonny ropes and organic shapes that pour through each other like activated painterly lines that culminate at a flower-like blossom for the candle. They move like marine plants gently swaying under the sea. Ian Thomas’ pieces are simplified head-shaped vessels that have incised comic faces that emote quirky moods, such as “Smile” and “Indifference” (both 2022). The faces’ expressions are drawn in a lighthearted way, as if a kid grabbed a stick and, through a few quick strokes, made the clay into a live, feeling entity.  

Graham Marks, Candelabra, ceramic, 13 x 10, 2022

Ian Thomas, Smile, porcelain, woodfired, 9.5 x 7 x 7, 2022

Ed Eberle fostered his students’ art practices, whether they were working with clay or other mediums, and several of them in this exhibition present drawings, paintings, and needlepoint.

Denise Suska Green and James Pustorino share large scale abstractions filled with color, shapes, and movement. Their surface relationships differ greatly in style and material, but their underlying spiritual interests have a kinship. Suska Green uses handmade paper of nuanced color and organic forms evoking nature. “Surfsong” and “Cove” (both 2020) have references to environmental beauty while using materials sourced from repurposed domestic textiles and linen garments. Her use of recycled natural materials shows a dedication to the environment that is treasured and revered for something more than our human use of it. James Pustorino offers a large abstraction of bold, vivid color exploring narrative through space and composition in “Container for the Universe” (2023). The convoluted movements twist and turn into each other creating interlocked passages. The segmented abstract shapes pull the viewer through a speedy roller coaster ride that flips and twists without paying attention to gravity or general laws of physics. Even though he uses synthetic materials and heightened color on geometric shapes, the painting shows Pustorino’s sketchy drawing that allows the viewer to feel a human presence in the image while the overall image feels like a macro view from the eye of the universe.

Denise Suska Green, Cove, handmade paper, 69 x 41.5, 2020

James Pustorino, Container for the Universe, acrylic and pencils on dDuralar,
80 x 75, 2023

Greg Kwiatek’s square needlepoint, “Untitled II” (2021) is elusive. The mysterious object feels more like an ancient Yantra than a 21st century endeavor. The description of the piece involves geometric relationships gently, meditatively, repetitively stitched on a grid, making one assume that process is a key element in the piece. Based on its symmetry, the composition looks like the result of planning, but the artist states that decisions are made intuitively. It becomes a diagram of harmonic relationships that is clear and bright in its simple geometry, and reflects craft, precision, and dedication.

Greg Kwiatek, Untitled II, needlepoint, 15 x 15, 2021

Vast open spaces of thought and reflection can come from seemingly minimal images. Scott Vradelis’ rectangular, color relationship paintings allow for aesthetic interpretations of moments, experiences, memories or the concept of non-content. His color choices are compatible and soothing. Seeing the slate-grey/blue rectangle, overlaid with a rich burgundy rectangle of pulled brushstrokes in “Poem for Studio Cricket Variant 7” (2021), in-person is truly the only way to experience Vradelis’ work. The scale relationships between rectangles that can function as windows or frames also have impact on the experience of the work, as each one feels specifically determined, perhaps because they are based on weight of color and value in a purely visual sense, or on the weight and value of an intangible essence. 

Scott Vradelis, Poem for Studio Cricket Variant 7, pigment in acrylic binder on
prepared dibond panel with aluminum angle backing, 25.5 x 41, 2021

“From a Tree Grows a Forest…” is a perfect title to capture the extent of the beloved professor and artist Ed Eberle’s legacy, which has clearly grown to forest dimensions. 

Images from “A Drawing Thrown”, 2016 video by Edward. S Eberle and JPC Eberle

"From a Tree Grows a Forest: an Exhibition Honoring Professor and Artist Edward S. Eberle" will continue on view at Drawing Rooms Terrarium Gallery until April 13, 2024.

Claire McConaughy is an artist. While not a former student of Professor Eberle, she was aware of his influence and the admiration he received from his students, friends, and fellow artists. Learn more about Claire here.

1. Contemporary Craft, “Ed Eberle in His Studio”, Video produced by Terry Rorison and David Newbury, YouTube, August 25, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Qqqv4J_1s