The Kara Taylor Gallery welcomes guest artists, beginning this weekend through Sept. 11 — stone carver Adrian Smith, with outdoor steel sculptures by Island native Brian Abbott.
Smith studied under a master carver in Kathmandu, Nepal, learning to carve stone Buddhas. His teacher’s ancestors were the architects and sculptors of many of Nepal’s great temples.
“In learning to carve stone Buddhas, I was taught that the eyes are ‘opened’ last, and it is at this point that the statue comes to life,” Smith writes in his artist’s statement. “While these animals are reminiscent of fossils, once their eyes are opened, to me they often come to life with character and presence.”
Smith uses natural cleft slate quarried in New York and Vermont, and roofing tiles salvaged from old barns. “These carvings can be hung outside, and are ideal for porches or even on the exterior of houses. They can also be installed with other tiles in bathrooms or kitchens,” Smith writes.
Abbott has exhibited around the Island, including a special sculpture. “Dahlia,” made of stone and mixed metals at the opening of 2021’s “Art of Flowers” event at Featherstone Center for the Arts.
Kara Taylor Gallery, 24 South Road, Chilmark. Artists’ reception, Saturday, August 27, 5 to 7 pm. Exhibit continues through Sept. 11.
