A meeting in April of 2021 marks the beginning of what the Booth Museum is now calling Many Metals, Many Fires, a unique exhibition involving three metal sculpture artists celebrating the West in their own way: Eric Strauss, James Ivy and J. Doyle Rogers. During that initial meeting, executive director Seth Hopkins and the director of curatorial services, Lisa Wheeler, both recall how well the artists got along—making for quite an exceptional, first-of-its-kind showcase for the Booth.
James Ivy, Old Money, fossilized clams, moose hide and stone, 25½ x 23 x 21”
“It was about the synergy between the three of them,” says Wheeler. “They were talking and sharing their stories as artists, and the way they were connecting was really special. Normally, we push for pieces that have something to do with the American West, but these guys are so unique, we loosened the “reigns” (no pun intended) and told them to use their imaginations but give a nod to the American West. It’s just a great mix of art of the West and contemporary sculpture today.”
Wheeler also notes that the museum hasn’t explored a metal sculpture exhibition like this before. “We’ve had our fair share of traditional bronze exhibitions,” she says, “but this one is the most unique in terms of metals used. It’s also about how these artists are mixing the metals and the way they’re creating. When you walk into the space, patrons will think, ‘I didn’t even know metal could do that!’”
James Ivy, Temporal Flow, fossilized trilobite, stainless steel, stone and leather, 50 x 30 x 17”
Each artist lends their own special vision when it comes to their metal creations. Strauss focuses on botanical forms, along with works from historical and current events. The artist explains “my works are literally formed and forged in fire. [My exhibition piece] Dreamweaver Series #1, is my take on a dream catcher, but forged with a botanical theme. I am trying to elevate forged works to a high level for Western art, as bronze works and carvings are the norm…I am trying to break the mold by merging technical blacksmith techniques and tooling, but creating fine art with a Western twist.”
Rogers uses layer upon layer of stainless steel used in his Western-inspired works, including the landscape. “I have always had a fascination and have been drawn to the West as small child,” he says. “Many trips to the great West have fueled my obsession with erosion, stratification, sedimentary layers and geology. This has been exemplified in my work through my stacking technique which is reminiscent of 3D topographic maps.”
J. Doyle Rogers, Landscape Arch, stainless steel, 9½ x 36½ x 10½”
We see this technique come alive in exhibition works like Landscape Arch, and Barbarians at the Gate. Both are products of Rogers many metal working processes such as welding, plasma cutting, laser cutting, graphic design, and more, as well as a large amount of general engineering experience.
While the third artist, Ivy, hasn’t previously explored Western themes in his work, and is more “focused on imagined environments of nature on earth and space from prehistoric to modern times, some traditional while others contemporary in theme,” he’s certainly done it now. “My inspiration for this series has come from many Western core themes such as land, law, nature, greed and weapons and it has been a blast exploring these themes,” he says. In pieces like Old Money,Ivy says, “These saddle bags are stuffed to the brim with fossilized clams but it invokes the question, “why is it sitting unattended on a stone pedestal? Many of the Western stories are about getting rich fast in any way possible. Historically, clams have been synonyms for the dollar and derives from the ‘use of various shells as units of exchange.’” Ivy’s works are meant to inspire exploration and thought.
Eric Strauss, Dreamweaver Series #1, hot forged steel, 36 x 32 x 4”
In around 18 pieces, these three artists conversate using their metal medium, a contemporary setting and their connection to the American West. See the synergy for yourself by viewing the exhibition in-person from March 5 through April 27. —
Many Metals, Many Fires: Strauss, Ivy, Rogers
Through August 27, 2023
The Booth Museum, 501 Museum Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120
(770) 387-1300, www.boothmuseum.org
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