Bay Area artist Mari Andrews opens an exhibition of new works, entitled Effloresce, at One Post Street on January 11, 2010. Featured will be four large wall works, created specifically for the exhibition. These works continue Andrews’ exploration of hybrid sculptural forms, using both natural and manmade materials. Unexpected juxtapositions call attention to “fragile and often fugitive objects that might otherwise go unnoticed.” The exhibition will continue through March 26.

Mari Andrews weaves together drawing and “obsessive collecting” to create beautiful, sensitive wall sculptures, which she refers to as “drawings”. She transforms everyday materials, both natural (e.g. leaves, stones, seeds, and moss) and manufactured (wire, steel, and paper), intuitively manipulating and combining their innate linear and textural qualities. Her mastery of uniting disparate elements is exemplified in Cascade, consisting of laminated, multicolored leaves suspended from fabricated metal forks, and Fringe, an enigmatic, lichen-covered linear form.

Mari Andrews received an MFA from Otis Art Institute of Parson’s School of Design, Los Angeles, and a BFA from the University of Dayton, Ohio. She has worked in the Bay Area for nearly 20 years, and has shown in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including a solo show at the Richmond Art Center in 1997. Her work is found in the permanent collections of the San Jose Museum of Art, the Portland Museum of Art, Maine, and the Eli Broad Foundation, Los Angeles, among others. Andrews has been awarded residencies at Djerassi Resident Artist Program, Woodside, CA, in 1998, 2008, and 2010.