“Embodied Landscape,” a painting and sculpture exhibition, on display Nov. 6-Dec. 11
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University’s Coburn Art Gallery is hosting “Embodied Landscape,” a painting and sculpture exhibition featuring works by Noah DiRuzza and Dana Saulnier, from Thursday, Nov. 6, through Thursday, Dec. 11. It will kick off with an opening reception Nov. 6, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Gallery admission is free and open to the public.
“Embodied Landscape” pulls from DiRuzza’s interest in addressing the complex relationship between human, nature and technology. His sculpted figurative forms challenge human perception and knowledge that is most often anthropocentric, and instead, present a world that is more holistic and inclusive of non-human entities. He seeks to blur the distinction of what it truly means to be human while attempting to reveal what the human perspective has obscured.
In contrast, Saulnier’s visceral paintings evoke the figure in landscape. Truncated forms achieve temporary integrity, and his transitions between figure and ground are continually investigated but remain uncertain and permeable. The works bear witness to Saulnier’s lived experience, ranging from his personal relationships to society’s current cultural precarity.
DiRuzza has a studio in Canton, Ohio, and his artwork has been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows across the Midwest. He also serves as an adjunct instructor in studio art at AU. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in 2017 and a master’s of fine art from Miami University in 2022.
Saulnier is a professor of studio art at Miami University, teaching painting, drawing and theory, and his work is represented by First Street Gallery in New York City. He has exhibited his art in more than 100 exhibitions, including 30 solo shows. He received a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in painting from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s of fine art degree in painting from Cornell University.
The Coburn Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays and noon-4 p.m. on weekends. For more information, contact Cynthia Petry at cpetry@ashland.edu or 419-289-5652.
