George Sherwood's WAVES & PARTICLES Artist Reception Set for Hudson River Park Today

CYNTHIA-REEVES Projects presents "Waves and Particles", an exhibition of six kinetic sculptures by American artist, George Sherwood. The show is in conjunction with the Hudson River Park Trust, and will be installed along the Greenwich Village section of Hudson River Park between Charles and Horatio Streets in New York City, from May through November, 2014. An event celebrating the artist and his work will be scheduled in late May.

An artist's reception will be held tonight, June 26, 2014, with a Sculpture Walk from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The walk will begin at Charles St. and Hudson River Esplanade at the Wave Cloud sculpture site in the West Village. Reception to follow at the Cafe at Pier 45, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Directions: The Pier 45 Cafe is at Christopher St. and the Westside Highway (9A). Take the 1 Train to Christopher St. and walk west to the Hudson River. Charles St. is two blocks north of Christopher St.

Sherwood's work continues Hudson River Park's dynamic presentation of public art, combining contemporary sculpture and site-based installation in a stunning setting along the water's edge.

Sherwood explores aesthetic systems of space, time, and the dynamic relationships of objects in motion. The choreography of each piece is governed by a set of basic movements, facilitated by an arrangement of aerodynamic surfaces connected by rotational points. His work is usually made of stainless steel, which has reflective qualities that integrate the sculpture into its environment. Wind speed and direction, shades of light, time of day, precipitation, and seasonal color transform the sculpture. The location adjacent to the Hudson River affords the optimal conditions for his work, given the reflected light from the waterway.

The artist comments about his work: "Each sculpture is a three-dimensional painting of shifting light, drawing all the colors of the environment, pulling down the sky, drawing up the earth and gathering everything in between. Quietly, gently stirring the light, each is alive: no beginning and no end."

A key work featured at Hudson River Park is Wave Cloud, which was on view previously in Boston. The entire disc, which is mounted on a tall stem, shifts in the wind; its movement is augmented by the riffling of wave-like elements on its surface, which mimic the play of light on water.

Recently, Sherwood has been engaged with installations of wall-based works for siting indoors, with elements so finely pitched, they respond to the slightest currents of air. Their subtly shifting surfaces of reflected light and color animate the surrounding environment. Recently, the artist installed a wall-based project measuring almost 20' in length, commissioned specifically for a prominent New York building.

Sherwood's initial interest in the art of movement began while attending the Hartfort Art school during the 1970′s. Drawn to and inspired by physical theater groups such as Mummenschanz, Pilobolus, and The Celebration Mime Theatre, he developed a theatrical performance consisting of large animated props, sculptures and masks that were physically manipulated by the artist. After earning an engineering degree from the University of Vermont in the 1980′s he turned his focus to Concept Development for LEGO Futura, the Research and Development arm of LEGO. Working with advanced technologies and as a liaison with the MIT Media Lab, he was part of a team that helped develop preliminary concepts leading to the creation of Mindstorms and Virtual LEGO construction software. It was during this time that he was introduced to the wind powered sculpture of George Rickey, a pioneer in kinetic sculpture. A growing passion to create his own sculpture led Sherwood to pursue this as a full time career.

Hudson River Park is a unique partnership between New York City and New York State that has transformed miles of Manhattan shoreline and more than a dozen piers into spectacular public open space. In addition to several permanent sculptures commissioned specifically for the Park as part of its design, Hudson River Park has also hosted several temporary installations including by artists Yayoi Kusama, Cary Leibowitz, Jonathan Prince and Tony T asset.

Madelyn Wils, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hudson River Park Trust, said, "Hudson River Park is thrilled to host this installation by George Sherwood. Being at the edge of the city awakens the senses to light, air and water in a way that isn't possible inland, and the artist's sculptures will further enhance this awareness for Park visitors. Hudson River Park thanks the artist and CYNTHIA-REEVES Projects for bringing Waves and Particles to us for the public's enjoyment."

Sherwood's work is in permanent collections, including The Currier Museum, Manchester, NH; The Dana Farber Cancer Institute 20th and 21st century Contemporary Art Collection in Boston, MA; Weisman Art Museum Public Art on Campus, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; three large-scale works of Sherwood's Wind Orchid series at City Creek, Salt Lake City; Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; The Atlanta Botanical Gardens; and the Contemporary Sculpture Path at Forest Hills Educational Trust. Public projects include a recent installation at the Christian Science Plaza reflecting pool in Boston; a 35' sculpture on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston; and a 24' sculpture on view at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical campus in Hanover, NH. Solo exhibitions include the Currier Museum, Manchester, NH 2010; Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston MA 2010, 2012; Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay ME 2008; The Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, MA 2010; Katonah Museum, Katonah, NY 2010 and Saint Gauden's National Historic Site in Cornish, NH 2004. In 2007 he was awarded the Lillian Heller Award for Contemporary Art at Chesterwood in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

George Sherwood, born and raised in the coastal town of Fairfield, Connecticut, is an award-winning artist with degrees in both art and engineering. He lives and works in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He is represented by Cynthia-Reeves (cynthia-reeves.com).

For more information, call 212-714-0044 or visit us online at cynthia-reeves.com.

Artwork: George Sherwood, Memory of Water, stainless steel, 78 x 78 x 78 inches, 2014 (detail)