On View: September 19th – October 24th, 2021

Meet-the-Artist Reception: September 19, 2021, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

“It is said that Hans Hofmann, after being introduced to Jackson Pollock, advised him to “work from nature .. ”
Pollock’s response: “work from nature, hell I am nature!” One could say that every artist, in one form or another, realizes that nature’s power must be considered and applied. Phillip Shore has revealed as much when he commented in an artist’s statement “I feel and understand that I am connected to the rhythm of the planet.” His sculpture acknowledges the artist’s environment and is enriched by all that it represents, both natural and man-made. Henry Moore once said that “to be an artist is to believe in life.” Phillip Shore’s ongoing homage to the material world parallels Moore’s observation.”

“Indeed, one cannot examine the art of Phillip Shore and not be impressed by the remarkable level of skill consistently on display in the work. The work is rich, as well, in its employ­ment of formalistic concerns. The artist is a wizard at creating works that are visually complex but which are ultimately harmoniously resolved. It is no easy chore to satisfy or bring to resolution, all that the artist puts into the mix. And this does not include the conceptual element which is 1n itself worthy of a journey into Phillip Shore’s universe.

One hundred years ago an industrialist by the name of Joseph G. Butler. Jr. created the first museum dedicated exclusively to the art created by Americans, The Butler Institute of American Art. It was his hope that the museum which bears his name would prove to the world that American art would one day be as admired and honored as any art created in the world. I believe that Mr. Butler would be pleased to know that the exceptional work of Phillip Shore would grace his galleries.”

Louis A. Zona
Executive Director
The Butler Institute of American Art

This exhibition is presented by The Butler Institute of American Art in collaboration with Longview Museum of Fine Arts