Art Center Sarasota Presents
“Banks + Banks”
March 19-April 24
Featuring abstract/surreal ceramic sculpture by Miami-based artist Susan Banks and nature photography by her cousin Barbara Banks, the celebrated Sarasota photographer.
(Sarasota, FL) The latest cycle of Art Center Sarasota’s 2014-2015 exhibition season includes “Banks + Banks,” featuring abstract/surreal ceramic sculpture by Miami-based artist Susan Banks and nature photography by her cousin Barbara Banks, the celebrated Sarasota photographer. The exhibit runs simultaneously with two other compelling exhibits, March 19-April 24, with an opening reception on Thursday, March 19, 5-7 p.m. Art Center Sarasota is located at 707 N. Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. For more information, call 941-365-2032 or visit www. artsarasota.org.
In “Banks + Banks,” two cousins unite to explore the possibilities of visual expression. Sarasota native Barbara Banks has created art since childhood. Her thriving local photography firm specializes in commercial and editorial imagery with an emphasis on people. To create the photographic images featured in this exhibit, she took a different and very personal approach. Over the last few years, Banks has captured scores of serendipitous, spontaneous images with her iPhone. Scenes of nature illuminated by ambient light predominate. “I don’t seek out these photos,” says Banks. “They arise from being present in the now. They’re totally spontaneous and completely unplanned.” Banks adds that, “I take the same approach I used with my first camera. It’s a fixed lens with no adjustment. The image is what it is.”
Once Banks captures a fleeting moment, she lets it be. “The images you see are largely un-manipulated. The light, color and tonal values are actually what was there, not the result of fiddling in Photoshop.” These images are then digitally printed in a small format. The intimate result resembles the scale of miniature paintings.
The connection between her studied studio photography and spontaneous iPhone imagery?
“Nature,” says Banks. “Subjects of people and nature seem like polar opposites, yet they’re deeply related. We are nature and that’s what I strive to capture.” For more information about Barbara Banks, visit www.barbarabanks.com or call 941-955-9077.
Susan Banks’ surreal ceramic sculpture blends the forms of coral and marine life with images of the human figure. Banks is a native of South Florida, an educator, and a working artist for 30 years. She is the recipient of two Florida Individual Artist Fellowships and an Endowed Teaching Chair from New World School of the Arts, where she teaches. Banks’ sculpture has been exhibited nationally to critical acclaim. Her art is informed by her journeys around the planet to Turkey, Afghanistan, India, and the base of Mount Everest in Nepal.
“Adventure travel has always been an integral aspect of my life and artist inspiration,” says Banks. “But first and foremost I’m an artist. My students have taught me to be a great teacher.” For more information about Susan Banks, visit www.susanbanksartist.com.
“Banks + Banks” runs simultaneously with two other compelling exhibits at Art Center Sarasota. “EX-PATRIA,” in Gallery 1, features works by Latin American artists living in the United States; this exhibit is curated by Elena de la Ville, the Sarasota-based artist and instructor. “At the Heart of It,” in Gallery 3 and 4, is an annual, members-only, all-media exhibition. The opening reception for all three exhibits is Thursday, March 19, 5-7 p.m.
For more information about Art Center Sarasota, call 941-365-2032 or visit www.artsarasota.org.
About Art Center Sarasota
Art Center Sarasota was the first arts and cultural institution in Sarasota. It was founded in 1926 as the “Sarasota Art Association” by Marcia Rader, the art supervisor for the Sarasota County schools district. In the early years, the group met monthly and sponsored exhibits in rented facilities. The Association was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1943 and has been in its current location in the Sarasota Bayfront Cultural District since 1949. Art Center Sarasota is now a membership-based organization that offers curated and juried exhibitions, adult and youth education programs, outreach initiatives for underserved youth, and culturally related public programming. Art Center Sarasota’s mission is to inspire individual creative expression, nurture artistic talent and provide the community with accessible and diverse visual art opportunities.
Art Center Sarasota
707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: 941-365-2032 § Fax: 941-366-0585
Gallery Hours:
Free admission
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Closed Sunday
