A Dog’s Life Jane Rosen
A Dog’s Life Jane Rosen
A Dog’s Life Jane Rosen October 5–December 2, 2023 Traver Gallery
MARBLE MEI BUDDHI (detail) opposite, left: MARBLE MEI BUDDHI 59 x 14 x 17 in Portugeuse marble, limestone, pigment right: LIPSTICK FOX
Alabama with GAME OF THRONES, 2023 46 x 16 x 13 in (each) Beaumaniere and limestone opposite: GAME OF THRONES (detail)
GAME OF THRONES (back) opposite: GAME OF THRONES (detail)
GAME OF THRONES DRAWING , 2023 23 x 39 in ink, chalk, coffee and sanquine opposite: LARGE MERLIN 63 x 8 x 17 in blown and pigmented glass and limestone
this page and opposite: LARGE MERLIN (details)
STONEHENGE MORANDI (detail) opposite, left: STONEHENGE MORANDI, 2023 44 x 24 x 10 in handblown pigmented glass, limestone right: BILL’S PEREGRINE
MARBLE MONK (FOR PAUL), 2022 81 x 12 x 14 in Portugeuse marble and limestone opposite: MARBLE MONK (detail)
LIPSTICK FOX (detail), 2023 42 x 10 x 22.5 in provençal limestone, casein and hand painting
LIPSTICK FOX, 2023 42 x 10 x 22.5 in provençal limestone, casein and hand painting
Born in 1950 in New York, Jane studied fine art at New York University, graduating with honors in 1972. She lived in New York City, teaching at the School of Visual Arts and sustaining a career as a successful independent artist until the late 1990s when a visit to her brother’s on the West Coast resulted in an opportunity to teach in the highly regarded art program at UC Davis. Rosen, now 73, has retired from the hectic life of balancing art and teaching and maintains a full-time studio practice at her home in the San Gregorio hills. Here, in her large, light-filled studio, perched high above the Pacific Ocean, Rosen creates the paintings and sculptures for which she has become so well known. Her home and studio are quiet places with more animal neighbors than human ones, and that’s how she prefers it. Her dogs, Mei-Rose and Bookie, are her constant companions in her home and studio. Drawing artistic inspiration from sources as diverse as Morandi, da Vinci, Egyptian funerary art, and Asian calligraphy, Jane deftly weaves together art and nature. She keenly observes her environment and feels deeply connected to the animals that share this place with her. Her drawings and burnished stone and glass surfaces echo the layered textures and colors of the landscape, and her noble sculptures celebrate the potent relationship between animal and human realms. Jane Rosen’s art is elemental and majestic, the product of her deep reverence for the natural, untamed environment and her mastery of material, form, and space. As we sit in the studio and talk, Bookie and Mei resting at our feet, we observe the stoic glass and stone animal forms resting on stone columns. Recently, Jane has been reflecting on what our animal companions teach us about living life. Jane sees her dogs as guides; with the attention of a scientist, she observes them; with the heart of an artist, she responds to them. These are more than beautiful portraits of birds, foxes, dogs, and owls. These are powerful, dynamic sculptures, affected by and affecting their environment, transmitting light and casting shadows as the time of day and the weather dictate. They tell a story of tranquility, strength, and immutable beauty. They speak of intuition and an understanding of nature’s language. Combining painting and stone and glass sculpture, A Dog’s Life is an especially personal collection of works that tell the story of a well-loved life embraced by nature. With great pride, we share this noteworthy new body of work with you, our friends, and collectors.
BILL’S PEREGRINE, 2022 64 x 8 x 10 in hand-blown and pigmented glass, limestone
PRAYING RAVEN, 2023 16 X 6 X 5 in hand-blown and pigmented glass opposite: WALL BIRDS and STONEHENGE MORANDI
MORANDI TALE, 2023 max height 75 in, width and depth variable limestone, cast and hand-blown glass
opposite: MAMA RAVEN, 2023 22 x 18 x 6 in hand-blown and pigmented glass
CARBON BLACK RAVEN BEAKS, 2016 22.5 x 30 in sumi ink, ink, and casein opposite: MAMA RAVEN MOULTING, 2022 50 x 42 in charcoal, ink, casein, and coffee
From the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank Sebastian Ages, Shannon Belardi, Ross Richmond, and Gustavo Gutierez for their tireless help in making this work possible. To Sarah and Bill Traver, and their dogs, Alabama, Salvatore, and Luigi, I give my heartfelt thanks. To Edith and Eduardo Marin, who lovingly share this paradise with Bookie, Mei-Rose, and myself, I give big love, always. This show is dedicated to all the dogs who have taught me how a life should be lived. –Jane Rosen
photographs by Jane Rosen, Sarah Traver, and Edith Marin
A Dog’s Life Jane Rosen
October 5–December 2, 2023 Traver Gallery
110 UNION STREET #200 SEATTLE, WA 98101 TRAVERGALLERY.COM 206.587.6501