Elizabeth McGrath
“The Folly of St Hubertus”
Reception: Wednesday, March 30th, from 6 to 8 pm
Exhibition: March 31 to April 30, 2011
Sloan Fine Art is pleased to present, in the project room, “The
Folly of St Hubertus,” by Elizabeth McGrath.
With “The Folly of St Hubertus,” Elizabeth McGrath fuses German
folklore, contemporary materials and her trademark flair for the dramatic
into one spectacular sculpture that touches on all of the recurring themes
in her work - protecting and caring for the vulnerable, taking responsibility
for how our actions impact the environment and co-existing conscientiously
with the creatures of the earth.
Born in the seventh century, Hubertus was an avid hunter and woodsman
who, while in the forest one Christmas Eve encountered the wondrous image
of a splendid albino stag carrying a shining cross between its antlers.
Through this vision, Hubertus was moved to transform his life. He laid
down his high ranks of office, distributed his wealth among the poor and
the church and dedicated his life to honoring the creatures of the forest
and protecting animals from needless suffering.
Today, Hubertus is the patron saint of hunters and animal protectionists
in northern Europe and his devotees honor him by sharing their feasts
with townspeople, holding charity fundraising festivals and being responsible
for the care of animals on their lands, both domestic and wild.
With “The Folly of St Hubertus,” McGrath re-imagines the hunter’s
transformative vision in gold leaf and over 30,000 hand-placed Swarovski
crystals. The fantasy eight-legged creature, glittering with bands of
reflective light and pierced by golden arrows, is simultaneously confrontational
and ethereal. He at once entices with glorious beauty and shocks with
profound sadness, giving one no choice but consider one’s own relationship
with nature, the environment, those less fortunate and those who can not
speak for themselves.
Self-taught, Elizabeth McGrath has exhibited extensively in galleries
and museums in the US and Europe including the American Visionary Art
Museum and the Bristol City Museum and Gallery. She lives in Downtown
Los Angeles with her husband, the artist Morgan Slade and their hairless
dogs Blue and King Tut. McGrath is currently working on her second solo
exhibition for Sloan Fine Art, scheduled to open in 2012.
Image: detail from “The Folly of St Hubertus,” 2010, mixed media with gold leaf and Swarovski crystals, 24" h x 23" l x 15" w.
