Invocation: Sculpture in Stone and Whalebone, Wood and Clay by Linda Johns

Opening reception July 23, 6pm.In this retrospective of Linda Johns's sculptures, guest curator Jeffrey Parker gathers some 35 works together. Looking back at these objects, one appreciates, for a start, the diversity of the material used and the shifts Johns makes from one to another. "Bone and wood are nearly the same process, but the tools differ," explains Johns. "Clay is an additive process, so you build your object rather than carve away what you don't want. These are two entirely different ways of seeing." Most raw material is found on daily walks in Antigonish. Right away, Johns senses the form to invoke, while also forming a plan for her approach in the studio. "Both processes are at work simultaneously, especially with wood and bone because their inherent free form shape evokes a natural expression. I will handle the piece, turning it over and over to see and feel its energy and what it has to say."(SF)