Athens, Ga. – The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will host a lecture by Scottish sculptor Patricia Leighton titled “Art and Place” on Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Leighton has been creating large-scale projects that focus on human interaction with the natural environment for more than 25 years. She will discuss “Terra Verte,” the exhibition of her work on display in the museum’s Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden through May 2015. The exhibition consists of six elevated cube frameworks of steel filled with plants that change color and texture with the seasons.
“The combination of stark, geometric forms made from steel and the textured, flowing plant material they contain make Patricia Leighton’s work an exceptional complement to the garden,” said Annelies Mondi, deputy director of the museum and curator of the exhibition.
Leighton’s designs are reminiscent of the Scottish hills and mountains she grew up with and the ancient sacred sites she has visited while traveling throughout Great Britain and Continental Europe. Working with teams of engineers, architects and landscapers, she seeks to capture the ever-changing landscape and ageless presence of each environment in which she creates art. Her work has been displayed in Scotland, England, Wales, South Korea, the U.S. and Bulgaria.
“The final work has a simplicity and graceful presence that belies the complicated coordination it takes to create her work,” said Mondi. “Her sculptures often have a spiritual quality that is reminiscent of the ancient earthworks and monuments found in her native Scotland.”
“Stone Levity,” a sculpture by Leighton’s husband, Del Geist, is installed in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex quad, in front of the Performing Arts Center, for the same period of time.
Museum Information
Partial support for the exhibition and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency-the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on the East Campus of the University of Georgia. The address is 90 Carlton St., University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 30602-6719. For more information, including hours, see http://www.georgiamuseum.org or call 706-542-4662.