Life on the Edge of the Forest: Russian Traditions in Wood

Saturday, September 13, 2014 - Sunday, March 29, 2015

This exhibition will focus on the folk traditions of Russian woodworking as well as how the Russian forest played a role in cultural identity and the traditional way of life. Specifically it will examine three perspectives of Russian traditions in wood: wood as building and crafts material; forests as sustainable ecosystems for renewable resources that support life in Russian communities; and the forest as a spiritual and cultural resource that inspires artists and folktales while also serving as a component of cultural identity.

This exhibition will also feature a series of botanical watercolor paintings by Alexander Viazmensky.:

The Forest’s Bounty: Botanical Art by Alexander Viazmensky

Opening a gateway to the elegant, albeit little-known genre of botanical art, this exhibition presents a fascinating assembly of thirty true-to-life depictions of mushrooms by an internationally known botanical artist Alexander (Sasha) Viazmensky. Using watercolor as his preferred medium, Sasha paints mushrooms familiar to every Russian, such as the delicious ‘white’ mushroom, known in the West as porcini, and the poisonous ‘fly-killer’, remarkable for its spectacular red. Botanical art is dedicated to the accurate and recognizable portrayal of plants for scientific purposes. Botanical illustrations are displayed in botanical atlases and other publication, communicating the knowledge of the plant world to students, researchers and general public. They encourage observation and appreciation of the diversity and functional perfection of the living world. A masterfully executed botanical is a work of art in its own right, highly sought after by museums and collectors across the globe.

This exhibition was featured on Red Current: check it out here!

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