Cognitions

Works by Rene Muhl

April 1-30, 2022

Dale Brock and Visiting Angels Gallery

Creating order out of chaos, fitting things together, telling stories, expanding imaginations, and discovering worlds beyond ours challenges me. I have satisfaction out of repurposing items that seem to have no other purpose than what they were originally made for and giving them a new life as works of art.

Influenced by culture diversity and a grounding in how art reflects our society my work has evolved from bronze casting to focusing on repurposing materials.

Using the cognitive process I wondered what women did that involved socializing and using their hands. While visiting my mother in a retirement residence I became aware of women who gathered together to socialize and work on puzzles.

A connection was made in the similarity of quitting and puzzling. The worn fabric that quilters used had a past full of stories and the imagery of puzzles told a story.

I have created a body of work made of puzzle pieces and aluminum cans that are woven together with copper wire. My art uses many images from a numerous puzzles to create a new work of art. The puzzles I use are provided by a community of women who enjoy assembling puzzles. I then drill each puzzle piece with 4-5 holes. After numerous puzzles are drilled I take sections from each that reflect the theme I have in mind for the particular sculpture and weave them together with copper wire. Some works like “Creation” consists of over 50,000 holes and 10,000 puzzle pieces.

There is a rhythm and beauty in the world that is not reliant on singularity. Just as the caterpillar metamorphosis into a butterfly my work undertakes the same mystery of transformation.

Rene M Muhl, 'Birds and Succulents, 2021, 7’ 7”x 8'x 4”, Puzzle pieces, copper wire