JRB Art at The Elms Presents “Memories Explored” David Phelps, Beatriz Mayorca, and Jose Rodriguez
October 22, 2017 - Trina K Morrison
JRB Art at The Elms Presents
“Memories Explored”
David Phelps, Beatriz Mayorca, and Jose Rodriguez
OKLAHOMA CITY – An opening reception will be held for David Phelps, Beatriz Mayorca and Jose Rodriguez from 6-10 p.m. Nov. 3 during the Paseo Arts District’s First Friday Gallery Walk. The exhibition explores memories – personal or otherwise signification, and will be on view through Sunday, Nov. 26. The exhibit, opening reception and artist talks are free to the public, as a part of JRB Art at the Elms’ Beyond Art Series.
David Phelps, a critically acclaimed, internationally collected contemporary sculptor whose work is instantly recognizable by his large-scale figurative sculpture appearing to the emerge from the ground. His largely auto-biographical work, explores the relationship between figure and environment. “My early work dealt with an implied environment beyond the sculpted image. In more recent works, I utilize fabricated materials to define and narrow the relationship between figure and environment.” Works such as 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall and Team Lauson continue the exploration of his personal history. These significant objects from his personal history in a way brings life to these memories.
After graduating from Humboldt State University with a BA in Ceramics, Phelps moved to Norman, Oklahoma to attend The University of Oklahoma and received his MFA in sculpture in 1984. He was awarded a regional NEA Fellowship in 1985 and a six-month residency in the Kohler Arts/Industry program in Wisconsin in 1987. In 1988 he was awarded his first large-scale commission from Triad Development Co. in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has since been commissioned to create large scale sculptures across the United States including the "Desert Wildlife" installation at the Gate D Terminal of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Venezuelan born artist, Beatriz Mayorca creates artwork that moves between sculpture and functional artistic pieces. Her work focuses on a modern and contemporary mood, by combining the warm feeling of wood with the coldness of industrial media, like concrete and metal. Currently living in Oklahoma City since 2005, she received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Central Oklahoma and has earned many awards and recognition for outstanding development, such as Most Outstanding Hispanic Artist 2014 Award and 2016 AHAS Awards in Wood Category from the Academy of Handmade - LA California. She is also part of the Oklahoma City's Pre-Qualified Artist Pool in four categories: Mosaic Art, Functional Art, Sculpture and Wall Relief.
Master printmaker Jose Rodriguez artwork evolves around the idea of small and dear things that he has been collecting over time, referring to them as “Objects of Desire”. Choosing to present them on a much larger scale than what they are, allows the viewer to explore the objects much more closely. “I am hoping to increase the scale of the object and still retain a degree of intimacy in terms of my relationship to the objects.” Rodriguez received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma and his MFA from Indiana University and taught lithography at the University of New Mexico for more than 10 years. His work is in many private and public collections.
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