Written by Carrie Baseggio
The natural world has amply provided artists with an abundant source of inspiration and allowed them to deliver works unearthed through their own unique lens. From paint pigment being sampled from flowers and berries to stone being carved, artists have long used natural materials in practical and creative forms. Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin are two contemporary artists who utilize organic materials in their work to captivate audiences with beautiful imagery through canvas and sculpture.
Their latest show, Spirit of the Woods, paid homage to their deep connection with nature and to the human and spiritual connections they hold dear. Foraging and collecting organic remnants of the earth and applying them to her canvas is the path of painter Eunika Rogers. Rogers, who patented the method in which she creates, directs unchangeable hues of clay, plant material, wine, or mushrooms onto her canvas and arranges the colors in a process similar to a topographic map.
Describing the intentionality behind her work, Eunika says, “I do not just represent landscape in my work, I construct the pieces of that landscape onto itself, making it much more representative of the natural world.
The landscape thus supplies both the subject matter and the materials themselves.” Amongst the landscapes Rogers depicts, is the mountainous terrain of her home in Telluride as well as the surrounding aspens that continuously captivate her. Immersing this imagery with the clay in which the inspiration came from, Eunika’s Terroir Paintings are a tribute to the natural world.
Discussing her process, Rogers states, “Clay is one of the world’s oldest mediums and I try to take the traditional pottery approach, using tiny brushes to bring out the details. I create a substance like a slip on pottery, and when the clay is wet it expands and acts like superglue. Unlike with actual paint, I cannot mix colors. So, I obtained my palette from the clay itself.”
Hib Sabin’s work is an amalgamation of world mythologies, and in his most recent renditions, a surrogate for human beings. Presenting in the form of allegorical animals, Sabin’s carvings depict his sculptural ascent and spiritual practice in tandem. As he began creating ritual implements for his own healing practice, Hib dived headfirst into a career as a skilled and reverent sculptor. Utilizing the abundant juniper wood in Santa Fe, Sabin crafts animals and beings that subtly whisper meaning and poetic substance.
The wisdom of owls, the spectrum of meaning in Ravens, and the cunning spirit of the coyote are portrayed with the feeling of tranquility in mind. Our connection with these beings are as tangible as the sculpture’s Hib creates. A reception for Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin took place on July 5th at Blue Rain Gallery in Durango.
Click here to view available works by Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin
Blue Rain Gallery, Durango
934 Main Avenue, Unit B
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 232-2033
Tuesday — Saturday: 10am — 6pm
Closed Sundays and Mondays
