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The Quicksilver Mine Co.
PHONE: 707.887.0799
© 2012 Sonoma's Own |
LYRICAL COMPLEXITIESThe Sculpture of Charles FahlenSeptember 28—November 11, 2012The Quicksilver Mine Co. presents a one man exhibition of recent work by mixed media sculptor Charles Fahlen beginning September 28th.
Fahlen, who died in 2010, began his professional career as an artist in the late 1960’s in Philadelphia, exhibiting extensively on the East Coast before moving to Guerneville twelve years ago. This show at Quicksilver will focus on sculpture completed in his Russian River studio during the last five years of his life.
An avid reader and traveler, Fahlen created a largely abstract and very personal body of work, often referencing themes of exploration, particularly the American West. Exploring and invoking cultural myths— toys, traps and puzzles from childhood—his sculpture is also highly imaginative. Using familiar, readily available materials—nuts and bolts, steel cable, brass rods, copper, aluminum, colored resin and acrylic—his creations are at once lyrical, playful and complex.
Influenced by the night sky of rural Sonoma County, his most recent pieces reference imagined constellations, cosmic schematic diagrams, astral fragments, and even contraptions for the display of fireworks. Once installed, unanticipated shadows on the wall enliven and mobilize Fahlen’s sculptures, extending their graphic quality into the space of the viewer.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Fahlen taught at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia for many years. Solo exhibitions include the Richard Feigen Gallery, the Droll/Kolbert Gallery and the Stefanotti Gallery, all in New York; the Lawrence Oliver Gallery and the Locks Gallery in Pennsylvania; a 1991 installation at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia; and a final one man exhibition at Steven Wolf Fine Arts in San Francisco in 2008. His work is in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Art Institute, MOMA NY and the Denver Art Museum.
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A Reception honoring Charles Fahlen will be held at Quicksilver on Saturday, September 29th from 4—6pm. This exhibition—Charles Fahlen: Sculpture—will continue in the Gallery through November 11th.
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