Plants are the New Pets by Norman Spencer

Revelry Gallery is pleased to showcase artist Norman Spencer for his anticipated solo show, Plants Are The New Pets. Norman has built his printmaking career depicting human/environmental interactions, identity, and his passion for nature. Block printing is deeply rooted in its ability to be used to depict nature with bold lines and detailed mark making. This block print series is based on Norman’s love for his indoor plant collection and the pride he takes in his ability to care for them.

 

As a self taught printmaker working in woodcut and linocut block printing, process is an essential factor for Louisville artist Norman Spencer. Through the act of carving each block, Spencer develops an intimate relationship with his subjects, resulting in compositions that may be reproduced endlessly. No two prints are alike however, and their appearance can differ depending on how they are rolled, how hard they’ve been pressed and how much ink is used. In his newest solo show, Plants Are the New Pets, Spencer demonstrates his passion for his personal collection of indoor plants.

 

Using a visual language of monochromatic color schemes, which complement the graphic shapes and lines of each print, Spencer is able to attribute mood to non-sentient subject matter. The majority of works in the show are effectively “portraits” of some of his most beloved plants. Each portrait exudes its own personality, which is influenced by the environment the plant dwells in. The care and attention with which Spencer executes his prints is demonstrated in this series, drawing a connection between the process of artmaking and the process of plant care: both require patience, attention to detail, and a delicate hand to produce the best results.

 

Plants Are the New Pets offers snapshots of plants in everyday domestic environments, highlighting the beauty in the mundane. These portraits not only capture the unique being of each plant, but specific moments in time and place, observed in detail and executed with deft precision.   

Blue Jade, by Norman Spencer	Cat in Blue, by Norman Spencer
Cat in Green, by Norman Spencer	Disco in Green, by Norman Spencer
Aloe 4, by Norman Spencer	Big Window, by Norman Spencer
Blue Matisse, by Norman Spencer	Cat in Red, by Norman Spencer
Cat on the Blue Chair, by Norman Spencer	Clear Night 2, by Norman Spencer
Clear Night, by Norman Spencer	Collection 5, by Norman Spencer
Green Matisse, by Norman Spencer	Monstera in Blue 2, by Norman Spencer
Monstera in Blue, by Norman Spencer	Night Gaze, by Norman Spencer
Orchid in Blue, by Norman Spencer	Prop 3, by Norman Spencer
Shades 8, by Norman Spencer	Stars and Ivy in Green, by Norman Spencer
The Kitchen, by Norman Spencer

Red Orchid #1, by Norman Spencer	Red Orchid #2, by Norman Spencer	Red Orchid #3, by Norman Spencer
Red Orchid #4, by Norman Spencer	Red Orchid #5, by Norman Spencer	Red Orchid #6, by Norman Spencer
Red Orchid #7, by Norman Spencer	Red Orchid #8, by Norman Spencer	Red Orchid #9, by Norman Spencer