RACINE, WIS.- Well-known for his work in ceramics, Frank Boyden has also long been versed in printmaking. Opened February 23 through June 8, 2014, Much of What is Seen is Not: Frank Boyden as Printmaker debuts a selection of prints presented to
Racine Art Museum by the nationally recognized ceramicist. This gift of nearly 30 of Boyden's prints and folios from the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s depict fish, animals, and insects-which are also frequent subjects in his ceramic work.
While artists are not always interested in-or successful at-exploring their ideas in different dimensions, Boyden has pursued concepts through multiple media for decades. He was trained as a printmaker, painter, and art historian; but he also creates sculpture and public art. Boyden admits to being "seduced" by clay, a material with which he has worked since the early 1970s. Inspired by Pre-Columbian and contemporary ceramics, Boyden has often chosen to use an anagama-or wood-fired-kiln to produce his clay vessels.
Boyden has produced almost 400 editions since his return to printmaking in 1984. Not only does he design and create the compositions, Boyden also pulls the prints himself, working in a large studio full of equipment that he built. A strong believer in creating art that reflects the natural world, Boyden connects his animal imagery to the species that inhabit the area near his home at the mouth of the Salmon River on the Oregon Coast.
This year marks the Racine Art Museum's 10th Anniversary in Downtown Racine. Visitors are invited to discover stunning exhibitions that shine a light on RAM's achievements over the past decade and predict an even brighter future.
Together, the two campuses of the Racine Art Museum, RAM in downtown Racine at 441 Main Street and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts at 2519 Northwestern Avenue, seek to elevate the stature of contemporary crafts to that of fine art by exhibiting significant works in craft media with painting, sculpture and photography, while providing outstanding educational art programming.