On November 2, Simmons Trustman Gallery introduced a new exhibit, Sea Glass is Diamond, created by artist and professor Loretta Park. The exhibition features vibrant tactical sculptures made from reusable materials, nylon rope, and scraps of paper. The pieces are everyday items meticulously woven together to create vivid and eye-catching sculptures that challenge the status quo.
Park describes the exhibition as “play, childhood, and fun.” She also explores the theme of abstract sculptural work by playing around with colors, shapes, and scale.
There are sustainability and environmental justice themes throughout the piece, which she believes are an implicit part of her work due to the use of diverse tools like plastic and nylon.
When creating her artwork, Park intentionally uses materials that are easily accessible and recognizable, like wood scraps, chains, and fabric.
By doing so, it allows an avenue for more people to access the work and connect with the piece. As an educator, she wants to show her students that inexpensive materials can produce “good” art. The abstractness of the pieces also allows space for the audience to create their own meaning and theories.
She also told the Voice that she tends to focus on having fun and using her instincts when creating each piece. Like a puzzle, she looks for different ways pieces fit together and doesn’t focus on one specific end goal for the image. This allows her to have flexibility, creativity, and space for mistakes.
The exhibit title came from Park’s experience with a young child’s inquisitive question about whether one of the chandeliers within her pieces was a real diamond. Park found this question humorous and eye-opening regarding how her art is perceived.
“The ability for children to imagine the object as something different struck me… how can we do that as adults?” pondered Park. She explained that capturing her art’s imaginative perspective and excitement is a theme she is constantly aiming for.
Park describes her journey into the art field as untraditional. She was initially a pre-med student at Bowdoin College, majoring in art with the goal of attending medical school. At the end of her sophomore year, she decided to become an artist and started working as a painter.
“After I had painted a while, I got lost and wasn’t sure what I could do with paint anymore… I started to feel the limitations,” described Park. This stagnation led her to study sculpture, which she loved due to its ability to be abstract but still hold real-world representations and themes.
Looking toward the future, Park hopes to implement more free-standing sculptures and play with the size of her pieces. She hopes to include more technological aspects like her animation work and pairing sound with her art pieces.
For aspiring artists, Park advises them to have hope, not be rigid in their view of art, and be adaptable to change. “Always prioritize your health and safety…if you are ready and interested, there is no way you won’t come back”.
The exhibit will be open from October 30 to December 15.
