Beth Cavener. In the community of sculpture, simply her name can have the effect of words reverberating through a hallowed grotto, as recollections of the first time one saw her work in person engulfs the space. This Autumn, we got to have just such an experience.

Shadow Partner – 2024: Stoneware, Steel-Reinforced Rope, Wood

As fortune and blind chance would have it, our last convention of the year, the delight-filled LightBox Expo, was a mere 30 minutes from the Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery where Cavener’s most recent show “Trust” was on for another two weeks. You have never seen us set up our booth with more focus and efficiency as we did this one, managing to finish early and carve out a precious three hour block to see her show before ours opened.

“Trust” by Beth Cavener

Unrequited (Smoke and Shadow) – 2016, Resin Infused Refractory Material, Steel Base

Walking into a gallery space filled with her works is a juxtaposition of intense emotions: wanting to run like a kid in a toy store to see everything all at once and yet heeding a call to tread softly and slowly through the wonder and almost magnetic pull of the imagery in front of you.

Trust Me – 2024, Stoneware, Mixed Media

From initial look, the scale of the sculptures is one of the first wow’s out of your mouth. Her creatures look down on you, up at you, directly at you with the impression of wise beings imparting the wisdom of vast experience.

G.O.A.T. – 2024, Stoneware, Horn, Antique Wooden Crates, Gold Leaf

As you are drawn closer, you find a perfect balance between concept, materials and technical skill – with neither overpowering the other. In viewing her works, you can’t help but be aware of the tactile nature of clay, almost feeling the soft, luxurious plasticity moving under your hands. The luscious, juicy swirls and whorls at once provide a visual perception of touch while simultaneously conveying the interior landscape reflected in the exterior surface. Much has been written about the psychology of Cavener’s works – representing human experience, emotions and challenges through the metaphor of animals’ directness, guilelessness and connection.

As in the hare below, you always have the sense of clay, what the material feels like, what it does and how it responded to the maker’s caresses. You can imagine the sensation of thin slabs of clay bending under a light touch, folding in on themselves to create the soft creases of the ear. The way the clay has been pushed and molded creates movement which conveys perhaps more the sensation of fur than the actual textures, while leaving an impression of the dialogue between material and artist.

Cavener’s works are completely fulfilled expressions. The amalgamation of  concept, execution, finishing and presentation provides a complete experience. They’re both gestural and expressive, yet extraordinarily precise. Even close inspection doesn’t uncover the magic behind their creation, leaving the viewer free to ponder, imagine and interact.

Captive – 2024, Stoneware, Mixed Media

Shards – 2024, Stoneware, Mixed Media

From a technical standpoint, the successful blending of various media seamlessly is superlative.  There’s not a drop of paint out of place, not an overlooked area of refinement, yet they still maintain an immediacy in their impact. There is nothing to detract from the entire experience or to take you out of the moment of interaction with the work.

Withdraw – 2024, Stoneware, Cast Clear Glass Resin, Mixed Media

The blending of the clay arm with the resin paw is quite literally seamless.

Distant Shore – 2024, Stoneware, Cast Resin

There is a palpable presence in Cavener’s works that leaves you with the impression that you might never approach your own work in the same way again.

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The Gallery’s Exhibition Statement:

“Beth Cavener’s solo exhibition at Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery presented in collaboration with Jason Jacques Gallery focuses on the titular pervasive human theme of trust – how it’s lost, destroyed, betrayed and abused, and the arduous journey of rebuilding it. From COVID isolation to political divisiveness, this body of work responds to the cultural and structural experiences that resonate deeply within us all. Through her work, Cavener seeks to reestablish empathetic connections across diverse communities, offering a poignant commentary on the state of human relations today.

Cavener’s sculptures begin as detailed maquettes, which evolve into large-scale works over a six-to-eight month timeframe. Each piece is sculpted from clay, hollowed out, fired and reassembled. Cavener employs colors and finishes that resonate with domestic interiors, enhancing the psychological impact of her work. Her process of breaking, reassembling and transforming materials from one to another alludes to the unconscious destruction of the foundations that create the common belief systems we rely upon to function as a whole.

Cavener’s sculptures provoke empathy and introspection, challenging us to reconsider our own experiences of trust, fear, hope and betrayal. Her ability to infuse animal forms with human emotions and gestures creates a powerful, authentic connection with her audience, making her work both unique and universally relatable.”