Tornado on the Map
Daniel Metchnek, David Wright, and Matt Zimdars
9/24/22 – 12/31/22
Franconia Sculpture Park and Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts are pleased to present Tornado on the Map, a three-person exhibition exploring ecology that features the work of artists Daniel Metchnek, David Wright, and Matt Zimdars. Opening September 24, 2022 in the Mardag Gallery at Franconia Commons, Tornado on the Map features bold moves and playful gestures across ceramics, drawing, and painting while pondering landscapes, animals, and the forces of nature that shape the Earth.
Matt Zimdars’ “WCCO” series explores weather systems in the Midwest and the station whose reports he recorded diligently for years. With a special interest in severe weather, Zimdars’ patchwork drawings overlay text from the weather channel with satellite images of Minneapolis, Stillwater, and beyond. David Wright’s paintings and drawings of destination spots are inspired by personal travel experiences, referencing images from books and the internet. Many of his works spring from trips he took with family and friends. Daniel Metchnek’s small, ceramic sculptures are intimate studies of animals from across the globe. Small enough to hold, and at times smiling, lounging, or on the prowl, Metchnek’s eagles, tigers, and lions represent a human relationship to nature. While humans are noticeably absent in Tornado on the Map, our role as witnesses and stewards, both subject to nature and actively shaping it, is felt throughout. Tornado on the Map opens at Franconia Commons on Saturday, September 24, 2022 with a public reception with the artists from 3pm-5pm, concurrent with Franconia’s 26th Annual Art & Artists Celebration. The exhibition will run through December 31, 2022.
Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts is a progressive visual arts studio and theatre company committed to artistic excellence and radical inclusion. Since 1996, artists with and without disabilities have worked side by side every day at Interact to express disability as an experience of profound fullness. Learn more about Daniel Metchnek, David Wright, Matt Zimdars, and over 60 other visual artists who call Interact their studio at gallery.interactcenter.org.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Daniel Metchnek has called Interact his studio since 2012, and in the last ten years he has continued to find inspiration in the natural world. “When I see something I’m interested in drawing, I begin by asking myself whether or not I think I can do it,” he says. “After that, finding out is the fun part. Ceramics comes across as difficult, but my grandfather was a sculptor, and I love working with my hands.” Metchnek has shown work throughout Minnesota, including at Rochester Art Center, Phoenix Theater, and Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.
David Wright has called Interact his studio since 2002. His technicolor cityscapes and bold depictions of animals are inspired by travel and the desire to see more of the world. His process begins with research, whether through firsthand experiences, books, or online searches. Alongside his drawing and painting practice, Wright is always adding to an ongoing line of hand-drawn greeting cards. He has shown work at venues throughout Minnesota, including Midway Contemporary Art, Metro State University, and the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.
Matt Zimdars has called Interact his studio since 1996. He comes from an artistic family and has been making work for decades. In the early aughts, Zimdars’ drawings, paintings, collages, and artist books focused on detailed research of severe weather phenomena. More recently, he utilizes found blueprints, floor plans, and architectural magazines to describe his plans for the future. Throughout Zimdars’ work, elements of text, tape, and found images synthesize in diligently ordered blocks of content. He is a collector and creator of both schematics and dreams, and his favorite temperature is “a low of 36, high of 99”. Zimdars has presented work throughout the US, including Lyndon House Arts Center (Athens, GA), Art Enables (Washington, DC), and Western Wisconsin State College.
All artworks are available for sale. Email info@franconia.org to purchase a piece. Click here to view price list.