Hunter Potter Brings Life to a Band of Wooden Misfits in 'The Pasture'
Hailing from a rural lumber yard Upstate, the crew heads downtown to make their debut at SHRINE’s Tribeca gallery.
Hunter Potter’s latest show begins in a rural lumber yard in Upstate New York, where he pitched a tent and spent several months giving life to bundles of storm-fallen logs and branches. Now, his ragtag crew are making their debut in The Pasture, opening at SHRINE’s New York outpost.
In this space, these forgotten logs are reincarnated. With long outstretched arms, craning necks and smiles, each of these works are enchanted by a distinctive personality and their “history in the forest,” exuding a sense of play and friendship through their fluid forms.
Highlights such as “I’m Looking Through You” and “John Doe,” were created from several fragments – cut with a chainsaw, molded using various grinders and sanders, and held together without nails, screws or fasteners – while others, like “Jeff at the Jazz Club,” were carved out of single pieces of timber. The series is united by freckles of “bow tie” inlay, crafted to prevent natural cracking in the wood and highlight the inherent beauty of the material.
“As Geppeto crafted Pinnochio, Hunter Potter’s human-like creatures are made with love,” wrote Shrine. “Instead of faithfully mimicking any human likeness, this diverse family feels like a band of outcasts and misfits who are blissfully unaware of their unique spirit and charms.”
The Pasture will be on view from December 13, 2024 through January 25, 2025 in New York.
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