Alumnus art show opens Monday

On Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. in Memorial Hall, Room 232, Cathy Clary will speak about her late husband’s art and share a short video about him. In addition to being a professional artist for more than 50 years, Clary spent 32 years as an art educator at colleges in Nebraska, Ohio, Idaho, and Washington.

The first sculpted book Clary said he saw was created by Philip McCracken. In a YouTube video before his death, he explained that in 1989, he thought he would make only one book sculpture.

“However, I found the possibilities were endless. I have a great love and respect for books as embodiments and conveyors of ideas, stories, information, and other potentials. I also enjoy their tactile qualities of texture, weight, and substance,” Clary said. “Wood is my material of choice. It’s part of our culture. It’s one of the few materials that was alive at one time, like we are. It’s warm to the touch. It has a variety of beautiful colors. I love wood for all those reasons and more.”

His sculpted books feature inlaid bits of found objects, including shells, rocks, and other organic materials.

In the video, he challenged viewers of his work to approach each piece as if it were written in an unknown language and use their own frame of reference to interpret the story.

“I make the books as though they were being held open and being read,” Clary said in the video. “I’ve always loved books. For what they contain, but just as forms in themselves.” 

His lifelong love of nature, reflected in his art, started with his boyhood explorations of the area around the North Platte River. In his artist’s statement, he said it was his aim as a teacher to encourage his students to be good observers of nature.

“The natural environment has always informed, amazed, and inspired me with its great mysteries and beautiful solutions to problems of form, color, texture, and line," Clary said.