Sympathetic Vibrations: a two person show of work by Tess Mosko Scherer and David L. Bradley explores the complexities of our human nature as both an individual and as a member of a global society.  Tess Mosko Scherer explores the tumultuous inner machinations of the human psyche in her mixed media, metaphoric work. Mosko Scherer’s interest in Jungian psychology and her private coaching practice informs her art.  David Lloyd Bradley is an avid observer of the complexities of the societal collective, as witnessed in his classroom as well as during his extensive travel.  Bradley’s travel to regions often affected by war or abuses of power influence his ceramic sculptures.  As described by Bradley, both artists are… “attuned to vibrations in our existences like a pair of tuning forks vibrating in response to stimulation.”

This show is an invitation to personal exploration through the expressions of these two esteemed artists. Both artists are keen observers of the human condition and their art work reflects their observations in a way that is at once deeply personal and universal.  The depth of their own reflection makes the work that much more relatable. As you take time to walk through the show and absorb the complexity of the work the multilayered meanings begin to reveal themselves.  The contrast between Bradley’s architectural structures made from clay with metal frameworks and Mosko Scherer’s minimalistic paper constructions is a beautiful symphony of form and design.

Mosko Scherer on Sympathetic Vibrations:
I work with paper.  My roots are in the book arts, however in recent years the book has become more of a symbol than a structure.  Symbolically, the book-like structure represents us as both, a collective and individual.  Of the works in the show, each structure was created from one sheet of paper that is torn, soaked and peeled apart.  The paper curls and folds in reaction, much like how our own lives are shaped by events, beliefs, and emotions.  I purposely leave the structures blank, so one can see the fibrous scars formed from the action of being pulled apart.  Beautiful. Rough. Scarred. Every WoMan. So often we are bound by unseen forces– limiting beliefs, stories of the past, and heartache. Sewn together, the threads are either taut or unraveling as though responding to the force of the paper as it curls into its self.

Bradley on Sympathetic Vibrations:
After spending two one-month visits to the Balkans my life and my perceptions were changed.  I can’t unsee or unlearn the horrors of war and the scars left behind on the people – the artists – that I met.  What I was stunned to learn on a deeper level than I had experienced before is the power of forgiveness and acceptance.  My bridges are about bridging the gap between the actions of our lives, and the decisions we make as individuals, as well as the actions and decisions that are made by others (politicians for example) and the consequences of those behaviors. The bridges speak to our ability to forgive and accept so wholly that it promotes healing, creates opportunity, and invites the possibility of something new and greater than what had been.