Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Art

Experimenting with chaos

By LENNIE BENNETT
Published February 8, 2007

How nice to have Robyn Voshardt and Sven Humphrey back in the area, if only briefly, for an exhibition at Bleu Acier, 109 W Columbus Drive, Tampa. The artists lived in St. Petersburg for years but pulled up stakes a year ago, moving to New York to nurture their growing reputation in a larger arena. Gallery owner Erika Schneider coaxed them back for this show, "Controlled Burn." Known for years for their large-format color photographs, Voshardt and Humphrey now do more video, in this case pairing it with drawings in which they manipulate the ink by gently blowing it around the paper rather than using a brush. The delicate, organic works were inspired by a stay in Oregon, where the artists witnessed the forestry practice of controlled burns that sometimes went out of control. Shown is a detail from Caldera. Their video of an old-growth forest, When I Look Up I Fall Down, will also be premiered in New York at the DiVA Fair later this month.

The artists will be on hand for the opening reception Saturday at Bleu Acier from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. or by appointment. (813) 272-9746 or www.bleuacier.com.

Voshardt and Humphrey also will be at Selby Gallery of the Ringling School of Art and Design at 7 tonight for an artists' talk in conjunction with a group exhibition of artists featured in one-person shows over its 20-year history. For information about Selby Gallery, call (941) 359-7563.

[Last modified February 7, 2007, 08:48:27]