Chewing Tar brings together fourteen artists working with materials typically manufactured for non-art purposes. Included are roofing tar, fibrated asphalt, tire rubber, wood shims, aluminum oxide, Tyvek®, 3D printing, and fused plaster.

These artists come to their materials differently. Some find that the material inspires the art. There is an irresistible attraction in shiny tar, shimmering aluminum, and thick, black rubber. For others, when a preconceived idea can’t be executed using traditional art supplies, non-traditional materials are sought out. In either case the industrial material’s intended purpose is discarded in favor of its visual potential.

This show differs from up-cycled shows in that the artists did not choose their medium based on its ubiquity as a discarded material. Nor is the show patterned after the austerity of the Minimalists who were also known for their use of industrial materials. This show offers a third view of these non-traditional art materials focusing on the rich, the lush, and the refulgent, often showcasing the tactile or voluptuous qualities of the medium.

The artists’ choices, humble or hi-tech, present an element of surprise as we become aware of the material’s original purpose and its newly elevated and highlighted significance in these handsome, visually textural pieces.

Chewing Tar Lichtundfire is the second installment in the ongoing Chewing Tar series which began with an exhibition at the UMASS Amherst Fine Arts Center, Hampden Gallery, March 2016. After curating a show you always encounter more artists you wish you could have included. This was especially true for Chewing Tar. These artists use materials in such a seductively appealing way that it changes the way you look at the world. The urban landscape, a never ending construction site, begins to look like a wonderful sculpture park.

The title Chewing Tar refers to the childhood pastime of chewing on melting, sticky tar found on the side of the road in the summertime.

    – Linda Griggs