Loraine Toth….retrospective

Gualala Arts is excited to host “Loraine Toth… A Retrospective,” a one-woman show featuring a comprehensive collection of her life’s work in clay, possibly with a few select paintings. The exhibition will open on Friday, January 10, from 4-6 pm at the Gualala Arts Burnett Gallery and will remain on display through February 9. This retrospective offers a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of Toth’s artistic journey, showcasing her mastery of form and texture in her ceramic creations, alongside a curated selection of her paintings. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the depth and diversity of Toth’s artistic expression during this special presentation.

Loraine Toth’s vibrant and fantastical sculptures are inspired by the European traditions of the Commedia dell’arte, a style of theatre originating in northern Italy in the fifteenth century, which Toth became acquainted with while studying art in Vienna. The Commedia dell’arte featured actors wearing distinctive costumes and masks who performed with highly stylized postures and exaggerated gestures to convey emotion and intent. Such performances often incorporated jesters, harlequins and acrobats who actively engaged with the theatre audience. Toth’s figurative works, always intensely colorful, can range from bold and provocative to sensitive and alluring – with facial expressions, gestures, props and masks contributing to their overall visual impact and messaging. Her work is large and physical, creating a powerful impact, yet still manages to speak to you intimately. She often chooses to display multiple sculptures together as part of a unified group–evocative of a theatre performance where one artwork can play off against another in telling a story. Loraine Toth’s ceramic sculptures are glazed and fired, sometimes multiple times, in a large kiln at her studio. Her larger figures are often assembled from several smaller components fired individually.