Ed Andrews
Invasive Species
Nov. 8-Dec. 10
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6pm
Opening Reception: Nov. 10, 6-8pm
VIP Reception: Nov.15, 6-8pm
Second Sunday Concert Series: Nov.12, 4pm
Artists talk with Guest Curator: Dec.3, 4pm
INVASIVE SPECIES, Ed Andrews’ first exhibition at Boston Sculptors Gallery, juxtaposes literal and metaphoric interpretations of the phrase invasive species. Thematically, the installation combines the artist’s part-time work as an environmentalist with his trepidation of electronic surveillance and the threat it poses to our civil liberties and freedom. Monumental arboreal structures support rice paper cocoons that seem to breathe in and out, while small bug-like drones buzz overhead, appearing to monitor the movement of unsuspecting viewers. The effect is at once visually seductive, poetic, and deeply disconcerting.
As a youth, Andrews’ family lost twelve American Elms that shaded their home due to the invasive Dutch Elm disease. Today he manages 35 acres of woodland—an extension of his studio and a laboratory for his art practice—where he does his best to contain non-native plants and insects that threaten the eco-system, including an ongoing personal battle with the invasive European Gypsy Moth. These experiences inform Andrews’ work, paired with his expressive commentary on the spread of the security and surveillance industry, which like invasive species, can potentially damage the environment, and pose a threat to our shared human economy and well-being.
Andrews is known for his site-specific sculptures, which are responsive and usually incorporate light and movement. He has exhibited nationally and his work is in several public and private collections. His awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, and from regional and state Arts Commissions. Andrews teaches Sculpture at Northeastern University in Boston. He lives and works in Glocester, RI.
Ed Andrews’s Invasive Species will be on view concurrently with Nora Valdez’s Immigration Nation II.