Helen Mason
Sculptor/Metalsmith
Shows and Exhibitions (Prices upon Request)
Below are highlights from recent shows and exhibitions
"Layered Abstraction"
Delaware Art Museum, March 17, 2020 - January 17, 2021
Helen Mason has dedicated her artistic career to exploring the infinite possibilities of abstraction. For more that fifty years she has challenged traditional expectations for contemporary art.
She has used shape, color and line to create dynamic compositions.
She is always pushing boundaries and looking for new ways to incorporate unique materials and techniques that no other artists have used.
"Reconstructed Elements"
Delaware Art Museum, September 7, 2015 - January 3, 2016
My sculpture raises issues in twenty-first century art, including the relationship between craft and fine art, and my place as an artist in society. My desire is to find innovative ways to express ideas, and crossing traditional boundaries is always my intent.
I have manipulated discarded rubber tires and innertubes into a fluid material, producing everything from its color and malleability to the texture of tread patterns. By layering these components, I have created both small and monumental compositions, which radiate a sense of energy through transformation.
The color black is always a constant, incorporating a strong element of the East. By layering, folding, draping, knotting and weaving, along with the use of modern industrial materials has given my forms new presence through unexpected combinations. I have tried to create a sense of unity in my work by designing in series, which has allowed me to investigate the endless possibilities of a single of idea.
"Form and Spirit"
Delaware Art Museum, 1988
This exhibition consists of a series of sculptural forms and specific references to Japanese culture and history. The underlying theme and my inspiration is the subtle but dramatic expression in modern Japan of the esoteric forms of unity. Enclosure/wrapping, arrangement/pairing, union/tying and collection/bundling represent Japan's link to the past and are apparent in everyday life throughout Japanese society. The interpretation of this deep cultural tradition is presented in symbolic form using clay aluminum and rubber.
My goal has been to capture what lies beyond these forms… to discover and become a part of the invisible spirit that created them.
"Uncommon Jewels"
I have always been fascinated by small-scale objects such as jewelry and small boxes. It is the only art form that makes direct contact with the body, creating a symbolic relationship between the work and the person wearing it.
My inspiration is drawn from Minimalism and the stability and refinement of geometric forms. I prefer certain formal vocabularies especially the circle and the square. Design, balance and proportion are significant factors in the compositional process and because of the reduction of form every element is of absolute importance. The color black is always a constant, incorporating a strong influence of the East, symbolizing mystery, elegance and serenity. A subtle surface texturing is used to achieve a sense of depth.
I work in series and seek to imbue modern industrial materials such as aluminum, steel, acrylic and rubber with the same aesthetic qualities as silver and gold. The motivation for my work is a continuing search for innovative ways to express ideas and test conventions, always with the desire to break the boundaries between art and craft.