María Elena González, Skowhegan Birch #2 (2014). Player piano roll, 2 in. diameter x 11 1/2 x 11 7/8 in. Edition of 4, 1 AP plus 3 promos.
Presented by Mills College Art Museum, Tree Talk is the culmination of over ten years of work by internationally recognized Brooklyn and Bay Area-based artist María Elena González and her investigation into the visual parallels between birch trees and player piano rolls. González graphically recorded the distinctive bark pattern from three birch trees onto long rolls of fine paper, each yielding unique compositions for the player piano. Related drawings, prints, videos, and sound installation are featured, demonstrating González’s interest in both representations of sound and sound as a sculptural material. The opening reception for Tree Talk will be held on Saturday, January 26, 5–7 pm. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
María Elena González is a Cuban-American artist best known for her sculptural installations informed by architecture and personal experience. She is currently Chair of the Sculpture Department at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, the Prix de Rome, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Performance | Tree Talk: Variations on Impression
Wednesday, February 6, 7 pm
In collaboration with González, composers Marc Zollinger, John Ivers, and Dirt and Copper will perform their translations of data from the birch tree scores for this premier event. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
Founded in 1925, The Mills College Art Museum is a forum for exploring art and ideas and a laboratory for contemporary art practices. Through innovative exhibitions, programs, and collections, the museum engages and inspires the intellectual and creative life of the Mills community as well as the diverse audiences of the Bay Area and beyond.
Tree Talk is on view at Mills College Art Museum (Oakland, CA) through March 17. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 26. For more, visit mcam.mills.edu/exhibitions.
