DOYLESTOWN, PA.- The James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown presents the exhibition Contemplative Spaces by Philadelphia sculptor James Fuhrman as part of the ongoing Outdoor Sculpture Program. Situated between the Museum and the Bucks County Library Center from July 19 through October 26, this exhibition of cedar, oak and painted steel sculptures includes four of the artist's recent works as well as one new piece created specifically for this exhibition.

“Fuhrman makes bold, archetypal objects, which ask the viewer to not only consider his or her physical relationship to the work, but also to examine one's spiritual place in the world,” explains Kristy Krivitsky, the Museum's Associate Curator of Contemporary Art. “These pieces are quiet, yet strong; simple, yet powerful.”

Fuhrman's work ranges from large-scale public art commissions to more meditative studio sculptures, drawings and prints. He incorporates Zen circular forms known as enso, which symbolize completion, fullness and inclusion. Some of his most recent work involves the creation of contemplative spaces for the viewer to enter and that utilize natural materials and geometric forms to reveal areas of quiet and reflection. While the artist does not specifically call upon Eastern philosophy for his inspiration, Fuhrman says that he believes in basic concepts that are similar to Eastern thought, including “a strong and profound connection to the natural, to the ground and to the earth, to the changing seasons and to a geologic sense of deep time. All of which put humans as one element of the earth rather than as the principle all-powerful controllers of the earth. This places humans within the natural order rather than above, as a part rather than apart.”

Fuhrman received artistic training at the University of Pennsylvania. Between 1979 and 1983 he studied Graham technique dance classes; the renowned dance master Martha Graham said she found his sculptures "very evocative and beautiful in their space and proportion." The influence of this dance technique on Fuhrman is evident in the tense asymmetrical balance of his sculpture.

On July 18 at 7:00 p.m., during the exhibition opening reception (members free; non-members $15.00), internationally-known percussion artist Toshi Makihara continues his collaboration with Fuhrman's work through a special performance. Makihara creates a new "sound art" using the sculptures as his sound source. Makihara's percussion performance is a dance: he uses his body, hands, arms and elbows as well as found-implements from whisks to super-ball mallets to create a series of non-regular, open-spaced sounds echoing Fuhrman's process of constructing the sculpture. The performance adds a new sensory dimension to the experience of these sculptures and recalls the study of Martha Graham's dance technique, which underlies Fuhrman's work.

Fuhrman also presents a gallery talk about Contemplative Spaces in the Outdoor Sculpture Garden on Tuesday, July 22 at 1:00 p.m. This program is free and does not include Museum admission. Advance registration is required by calling 215-340-9800.