Lowe’s parents, whocreated split-plait baskets, beadwork and canoes in their American-Indiantradition, inspired the serene aesthetics showcased in the exhibition. Fromthis framework Lowe constructs his abstract artwork, which mingles craftelements with fine art to reference the natural surroundings that recall hischildhood home. The nearby forests and Black Riverinform sculptures that reflect water and wood through architectural simplicity,similar to drawing in three dimensions with twigs and twine. The artwork honorsAmerican-Indian culture portrayed through Lowe’s singular, contemporaryinterpretations.
While incorporating thetimeless craftsmanship gleaned from his parents’ handiwork, Lowe ingeniouslyuses bark, feather, leather, paper, rawhide, stone and wood in his artwork.Whether designing wall hangings or large, site-specific installations, Lowe’ssculptural pieces create awe and surprise in respect to their scale, form andconstruction while also evoking a meditative quality from the tranquillandscapes of northern Wisconsin.
For the MWA exhibit,Lowe’s work includes a site-specific installation, floor standing sculpturesand wall hangings, as he transforms the galleries into his own artisticstatement.
Among Lowe’s manyprestigious honors are a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, asculpture installed in the Jacqueline Kennedy Gardenin Washington, D.C., and a 2007 Wisconsin Visual ArtLifetime Achievement Award. Lowe, an art professor at UW-Madison since 1975,also served as a curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museumof the American Indian from 2000-2008.
“Lowe is a major artistnationally, who stays and works in the state,” explains MWA Assistant DirectorGraeme Reid, “and any time we can show Truman’s work in his home state, this isa very good experience.”
The exhibit’s openingreception takes place March 21 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Lowe will also speakThursday, March 25, at MWA’s “The Moment” in a special program titled“Following the Line, Finding Nature’s Geometry: A Conversation with TrumanLowe.” Joining Lowe for this program will be Beloit Collegeart history professor Jo Ortel, author of WoodlandReflections: The Art of Truman Lowe.
This March 25 event,which occurs from 5 to 8 p.m., will offer Lowe’s personal insights into hisreverence for nature and American-Indian culture as seen in his artwork.
