THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES
Morgan Rose Free
10.7.22-10.21.22
Opening Reception | Friday, October 7: 6-9pm
In Morgan Rose Free’s sculptural installation, The Forest Through The Trees, relics of the forest and fragments of the household converge. Flames and foliage of the forest are flattened into walls of studs and framework, questioning where interior ends and exterior begins. The structure is simultaneously partition and portal. It presents a division in the form of an invitation;an obstacle in the form of a gateway. One is both cut off by, and pulled through, the piece, creating a metaphor for a purgatory between opposites: the horrors of Earth’s climate crisis versus the beauty that still remains. Adorned with pyrographed drawings, pockets of colorful weavings, ceramic charms, and found objects, the work presents moments of joy within a story of looming darkness. Together they form an ecosystem where mental escape and harsh reality exist in acrid harmony.
Morgan Rose Free is a Canadian artist predominantly working in sculptural assemblage. Her conceptual interests lie in human engagement with the outside world, often grappling with ideas around our current climate crisis, engagement with public spaces (both natural and human made), and how the digital age has affected these relationships. Based in Columbus OH, she is a cofounder of Dream Clinic Project Space and has participated in exhibitions across North America. She has attended residencies at Prairie Ronde, the Vermont Studio Center, Bunker Projects, Terrain Exhibitions at Enos Park, and ACRE Projects. She has been awarded grants from The Canada Council for the Arts and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. She received her MFA in Sculpture/Dimensional Studies at Alfred University and her BFA in Fibre from the Alberta College of Art and Design with honors.