A step inside takes visitors out to the woods
Although the Columbus Cultural Arts Center is located in the central city, visitors to the venue this month and next will encounter an exhibit with a decidedly less-urban aura.
The solo show “Ghost Forest” — on view through March 11 — offers works by artist Char Norman depicting the ruggedness and beauty of nature.
The title installation — suspended from the ceiling in the entrance to the center — features long strips of bark (suggesting actual trees) on the opposite sides of which are protruding paper discs (to represent fungus).
The mass of bark forms a dense forest in the 8-by-30-foot space — a woodsy respite from the city outside.
Norman, who lives in Columbus, is inspired by time spent in area parks — treks that also provide her with materials for her creations.
In fact, bark can be found in works throughout the exhibit.
“In all my wanderings, I’m always picking up little bits of nature,” said Norman, who retired in 2013 as a dean and associate provost at the Columbus College of Art & Design.
“When all the ash trees died, this bark just shears off in these beautiful pieces,” said Norman, referring to the species of tree afflicted by the invasive emerald ash borer.
“I find pieces that speak to me — the twist in them, the turn in them, whatever it is,” she said.
To create a work, Norman must take steps to preserve a section of bark.
“I freeze it, usually just putting it outside in the winter,” she said. “Then I coat it with an acrylic medium.”
Her efforts don’t end there: Many pieces include podlike objects — crafted in linen or paper — cradled on the reverse sides of bark.
“Leaves of Ash,” for example, displays a length of bark on which five pods are
snuggled. Other pieces in bark present different hidden gems, such as the items found inside — and references in the titles of — “Maple Seeds” and “Curled Leaf.”
The contrast between the cozy pods and the craggy bark is striking.
“The pod shape is really important to me,” Norman said. “They’re shrouds. They’re wombs. ... They’re a protective cocoon kind of covering.”
An impressive series of works makes plain Norman’s respect for nature: Seven framed, two-dimensional paper pieces feature leaves in places of honor within tabernacle-like borders.
The works resulted from Norman’s travels not in central Ohio but in a more distant locale.
“The 2-D pieces are directly a result of traveling in Italy,” she said, “where I was taken by all the shrines and wanted to create my own shrine for nature.”