From the Garden to the Kitchen
« back to All BlogsBy Debbie Hagan
Last week, I stopped by George Marshall Store, in York, Maine, where director Mary Harding had staged a fun summer show, From the Garden to the Kitchen. Colorful works of varying sizes and subjects by such artists as Gary Haven Smith, Lincoln Perry, Julia Zaines, Donald Saaf, and Tom Curry give viewers fresh takes on gardening, seasonal produce, and the delights of summer dining.
Laurel MacDuffie
Laurel MacDuffie’s beautiful reliquary stoneware boxes, high-fired in a salt/soda atmosphere, lend elegance and mystery (see above). They range in size from what would comfortably fit on a coffee table to one that would fit inside your palm. When opened, each little reliquary contains a small surprise-- little seeds or something from the earth.
I also loved Tina Ingraham moody painting of a clerk in a striped shirt filing goods on a bottom grocery shelf. The subject turns, aware of the viewer, and gives a warm expression. The painting evokes the many small grocers, attended by young people in the summer, especially in beach towns around York.
Gary Smith and Michael Stasiuk
Next to this painting is an articulated sculpture by Michael Stasiuk, which echoes some of the same stripes in Ingraham's work. I'd say these fanciful sculptures, constructed of repurposed objects, are my personal favorites. One large figure, which resembles a marionette in the way it hangs from the ceiling, has garden claws that serve as hands.
Hats off to Harding for bringing together so many very fine artists in this fanciful, innovative, mixed media show that is bound to bring a smile to garden lovers of all ages. The show runs until August 21.
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