Gardner appeared in our 2019 photo essay A Day in the Life of the Arts. The image of Gardner, pregnant and hard at work late at night in her garage studio, surrounded by ghostly papier-mùché sculptures of forest animals and antlered children, encapsulated the subject matter Gardner explores in her art and the real-life demands of maintaining a practice while holding down a teaching job and raising a family.
Gardner began mounting her sculptures to a âwall of lifeâ in her home studio in 2022, including small sculptures of bugs, birds and wildflowers shaped out of polymer clay, baked in the kitchen oven, and then painted and coated with resin. One day, Gardner created a tulip, her favorite flower, and decided sheâd like to wear it out in public as a necklace. People were intrigued and asked her about the piece.
âThis is only a glimpse of what Iâve got going on in my studio,â says Gardner of that first tulip. âIâve got hundreds of wildflowers on the wall.â The resulting wearable pieces are organic, painterly, surprisingly sturdy, and a welcome alternative to store-bought manufactured jewelry.
âIâm really enjoying pooling from this wall of life,â says Gardner of what has become a creative wellspring. âMy kids have gotten used to seeing birds, bugs and flowers in the oven!â
Gardner and members of Foltzâs staff will be wearing some of her sculptures at this Saturdayâs opening. Wisitors will have to opportunity to try them on as well.
Endless Summer runs July 27-Aug 25 and includes works by Mallory Agerton, Saran Alderson, Erika Alonso, Tom Bandage, Lotus Bermudez, Colleen Blackard, DUAL, E. Dan Klepper, Ibsen Espada, J. Antonio Farfan, Brendan Flores, Rachel Gardner, Garrett Griffins, Peter Healy, Otis Huband, Sarah Fisher, Jonathan Paul Jackson, Sirena LaBurn, Melinda Laszczynski, Ambrosia Max, Jacob Melgren, Matt Messinger, Susu Meyer, Kate Mulholland, Charlotte Seifert, Ben Sklar, Robin Utterback and Doug Welsh.
Gardner was featured in CityBookâs âA Day in the Life of the Artsâ photo essay in 2019. (photo by Jhane Hoang)
Gardnerâs wearable art will be featured in new art show.