Through October 25, 2023: Animalia 2.0 / Daniel Robbins: Hourglass / Bill Killebrew and Ellie Richards / Eleanor Anderson: Ciphers
Just in time for fall, Blue Spiral 1 is delivering a creative bounty that’s sure to impress. In the Main Level Gallery, the downtown tastemaker will host Animalia 2.0, a showcase featuring 13 contemporary artists’ take on birds, bunnies, and everything in between. As noted in a gallery statement, the works will draw “inspiration from various disciplines such as biology, evolution, and anthropology” to prompt “reflection and reverence” for the illustrated species. Meanwhile, in the Showcase Gallery, Virginia painter Daniel Robbins will explore elements of both the natural world and the manmade with his raw, representational scenes. In one vignette, a young girl with French braids doodles by the sea. In another, a toddler stares wide-eyed from her crib. Also intent on immortalizing the everyday are Bill Killebrew and Ellie Richards. A Tennessee painter and Penland-based sculptor, respectively, the two “employ their distinct artistic styles to reference commonplace objects and moments found in natural environments and domestic spaces.” Killebrew may capture a sun-soaked paddock in abstract strokes while Richards uses her bandsaw to manipulate brooms and lamps. Coupled together in the Lower Level Gallery, “these artists elevate the ordinary and familiar through their signature approaches.” Lastly, in the Small Format Gallery, Ohio interdisciplinary artist Eleanor Anderson will present wildly improvisational pieces that toy with traditional craft techniques such as embroidery, beading, weaving, appliqué, and stitching.
Blue Spiral 1 Fine Art + Craft / 38 Biltmore Ave., Asheville / bluespiral1.com