Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination 
Closes on Sunday, February 18th 

 

Huntsville, Ala. – Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination will be on display at the Huntsville Museum of Art (HMA) until Sunday, February 18th. This captivating exhibit explores the topic of fusing technology and art presented by First Horizon Bank.

“Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination transcends boundaries,” said Christopher J. Madkour, HMA’s Executive Director. “The Huntsville Museum of Art invites the public to participate in this interactive exhibit where creativity meets technology.”

Internationally renowned artist Ginny Ruffner collaborated with Grant Kirkpatrick an emerging animator for the exhibit Reforestation of the Imagination by using technology to overlay digital information onto sculptural objects, two disparate environments are portrayed. The setting is an apocalyptic landscape far in the future. The initial environment consists of five landmasses, which support the glass stumps. Except for the painted shelf mushrooms and tree rings on the stumps and logs, the scene is colorless and desolate; however, when viewed through AR’s technological lens an alternate landscape is revealed. When the tree rings of a stump are viewed through the device’s camera lens, a hologram of a fictional plant appears to sprout from the sculpture. Visitors can download the free app “Reforestation” on their phones or use the iPads in the gallery to bring the second reality to life.

“This is nature reimagining itself,” said Ruffner. “The imagination cannot be exterminated. It just recreates itself.”

Seattle-based artist Ginny Ruffner trained at the University of Georgia, graduating with honors and an MFA in drawing and painting. Ruffner has had more than eighty-five solo exhibitions and several hundred group shows, and her flameworked and mixed-media sculptures and installations can be found in numerous national and international collections. Seattle public art installations include a 30-foot-tall kinetic water feature downtown and a permanent installation in the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. Recent augmented reality projects, in collaboration with Grant Kirkpatrick, include Weston Riff at Photo Center NW; Branches at the Seattle International Film Festival; and Poetic Hybrids at the Seattle Art Museum. She has written two books and has been the subject of an award-winning full-length documentary, A Not So Still Life: The Ginny Ruffner Story (2010). Ruffner has lectured and taught extensively and has served as artist-in-residence at schools and universities around the world. This is Ruffner’s second exhibition at the Huntsville Museum of Art.

Kirkpatrick is a new media artist based in Seattle. After studying at Cornish College of the Arts for three years, he graduated with a focus on motion design and animation. Coming from a fine arts background, Kirkpatrick has considerable interest in the intersection of art and technology, particularly VR/AR, game design, and mixed-media work.

Kirkpatrick explains his collaborative process with Ginny Ruffner, “The work Ginny and I have made over the last seven years has been informed by a shared love of art, nature, science, and more than anything else, a sense of perpetual curiosity.”

“First Horizon Bank is proud of our long-standing partnership with The Huntsville Museum of Art which has spanned over a decade,” said Ginger Harper, Senior Vice President, Private Client Group Manager. “We are committed to supporting the Arts and enriching the quality of life in our community.”

Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination is on display until Feb. 18.

Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination is organized by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Generous support for this exhibition is provided by Art Bridges, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Elizabeth and James Eisenstein, Ed and Kathy Fries, Shelby and Frederick Gans, James Renwick Alliance, Colleen and John Kotelly, Betty and Whitney MacMillan, Jacqueline B. Mars, Kim and Jon Shirley Foundation, and Myra and Harold Weiss.

Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: First Horizon Bank
Lead Sponsor: Donna and Howard Thrailkill
President’s Circle Sponsors: Dee and Richard Kowallik
Artists’ Circle Sponsor: Ivy Downs Albert, Suzanne O’Connor, and Carol and Jim Tevepaugh
Media Sponsor: Alabama Media Group
Additional Support: Alabama State Council on the Arts & Huntsville Museum of Art Guild

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About the Huntsville Museum of Art

The Huntsville Museum of Art is a non-profit municipal corporation established by the City of Huntsville, Alabama, and governed by a city-appointed Museum Board. The Museum seeks to foster understanding of the visual arts and appreciation of artistic achievement. In addition to its galleries and exhibitions, the Museum offers art classes for children and adults along with special programs, lectures and musical presentations. Rental space is also available for weddings, meetings and other events.