Solo exhibition at Marcia Wood Gallery, Rabbits and Wolves, January 6 - February 19, 2011. installation images

Rabbits and wolves as well as dogs, bears, cats and a squirrel are among the new menagerie by Mary Engel. Engel has devoted most of her sculptures to the representation of dogs, although over the years there have also been some horses and cats, and a rare number of human figures. The current expansion into other animals reflects expansions as well of both techniques and imagery. Constellation and land maps, animal and floral prints, cave paintings, old valentines, the artists' favorite book of fables given to her by her grandmother, saints cards, text from poetry, the IChing and children's stories are used to create wall pieces that combine a 2-dimensional surface and imagery with 3-dimensional objects.The imagery and sculptural forms derive from myths, fables and archetypal memories. The cross cultural passing down of stories and images are of interest to Engel, for the rich imagery and range of artifacts that have been created, as well as the concept of memory. Layers of objects and layers of imagery conceal and reveal themselves in the sculptures, as do layers of meaning and memory carry throughout history into our current culture and daily experiences.

Mary Engel has exhibited her mixed-media animal sculptures at Marcia Wood Gallery for well over a decade. Originally from Chicago and currently living and working in Athens, GA, her work has shown and been reviewed extensively nationally since 1986. Engel's work is held in numerous important private collections, as well as institutions including Children’s Healthcare of Scottish Rite in Atlanta, The Arthur Blank Family Foundation, the Detroit Zoo, the Disney Corporation and the President’s Collection of the University of Georgia. Engel's work has also been presented at international art fairs, including Pulse Miami, Art Chicago, and ART(212) NY. Museum exhibitions include Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences, Macon, GA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Atlanta, GA, Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL, Asheville Museum of Art, Asheville, NC, and Fine Arts Museum of the South, Mobile, AL.

Solo exhibition at Marcia Wood Gallery, November 20 - January 3, 2009. installation images