JUDI HARVEST: NATURE
Solo Exhibition
March 3 – April 8, 2022
1110 2 Ave F2, New York, NY 10022
About the Artist
American-born, multidisciplinary artist Judi Harvest— whose extensive catalog oeuvre includes an amazing collection of abstract paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and multimedia works—is a legend who is just as energetic, inquisitive, and imaginative today as when she first began her career more than 40 years ago. Harvest has created works that are among the most technically profound and playfully vibrant in contemporary art. Among other things, she is known for her detailed Murano glass sculptures - from fruits such as tomatoes and pomegranates to insects such as honeybees - in fascinating, lifelike forms, meticulously sculpted using centuries-old Italian glassmaking techniques.
NATURE
Voice of the Artist
Judi Harvest
This solo exhibition includes works that span over 30 years and many different mediums. I realized Nature is the word and idea that encompasses it all.
Nature is derived from the Latin word natura, or "essential qualities, innate disposition" and in ancient times, literally meant birth.
Human nature, creative forces in the universe, the natural world and materials from nature all inspire my work.
My direct involvement with endangered species and endangered artisans has shaped my life and my art. As a beekeeper since 2006 and now helping to bring awareness to Bats, the night pollinators, building gardens on abandoned fields and creating all of my glass sculptures with endangered Murano glass masters in Venice, Italy has brought new life and results to overlooked and under appreciated mediums, species, plants and animals. My art is an aesthetic call to action which hopefully inspires others.
Art is a great communicator and artworks often have “conversations” among themselves when placed in proximity, which opens a dialogue that may not be obvious at first glance.
This exhibition has a painting from 1992, titled You Are What You Eat, painted with food products, 30 years ago. Near this painting are three display cases from my 2017 Venice Biennale exhibition titled PROPAGATION: Bees + Seeds. All of the more than 1500 seeds, fruits and flowers in the cases were handmade in Murano glass in Venice. The three display cases are titled: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE and are all about the natural and unnatural qualities of food.
The Room of Dreams, Murano glass pillow sculptures, represent an everyday object we take for granted which is in our lives from the first day to the last. I have been working with the precious and costly medium of Murano glass since 1988. Working inside the Murano glass factory and furnaces, along side great glass masters for more than 34 years, has shaped my art and life. The very nature of Murano glass is fragile and dreams are also fragile. I believe in realizing dreams otherwise they disappear. Human nature was the inspiration for this work.
Born in Miami, I live and work in New York City and Venice, Italy, three distinct cities with natural and artificial qualities which inspire my art. The distinction between natural and artificial; real honey, fake honey, real Murano glass, imitation Murano glass, truth and myths, digging, researching, planting seeds, reaping, dreaming and realizing are all part of my work.
The fragility of life and search for beauty is what Nature means to me.
Judi Harvest 2-22-22 New York
