Artist Statement
I want the viewer to have a sense of wonder and awe when looking at my work. We have all at one point or another picked up a stick from the ground—touched the wood, peeled the bark off with our fingernails. My work taps into that same primal desire of touching nature and being close to it. Trees connect us back to nature, back to this Earth. Over many decades I have created a unique technique of working with wood—my primary material. To craft my work, I usually begin with a drawing. I start out each day collecting tree limbs and sticks that have fallen to the ground. I never chop down a living tree or use green wood. Next, I debark the branch and look for shapes found within each piece of wood. I then cut and permanently join these small shapes together. Then, all the open joints get filled with a home made putty and sanded. This process of putty and sanding usually needs to be repeated at least three times. It is a very time consuming process and each sculpture takes me a minimum of a month to build. The sculpture that is being constructed appears like my line drawing but in space. I am interested in having my work appears as if it grew in nature, when in fact each sculpture is usually composed of hundreds of small pieces of wood that are seamlessly jointed together. My work can be called the ultimate recycling: where I take the detritus of nature and give it a new life. My influences are many: from looking at the patterns in nature and plant life on this Earth to researching the heavenly bodies in the images beamed back from the Hubble Telescope; from studying ancient Buddhist mandalas and designs to delving deeper into quantum physics; from researching mysterious manuscripts to studying the patterns inside our brains. All these influences inspire me daily.
Artist Bio
Loren Eiferman was born in Brooklyn, NY. After studying drawing in France, she became interested in sculpture and ultimately graduated from SUNY Purchase with a B.F.A. Over many decades Eiferman has created a unique technique of working with naturally found wood. Her organic wood sculptures take the detritus from nature and turns it into art. Eiferman has exhibited extensively throughout the Tri-State NY region-- from galleries in NYC to numerous galleries, alternative art spaces (Cathedral of St. John the Divine) and museum exhibits in the Hudson Valley and Connecticut (Katonah, Neuberger, Hudson River, New Britain and Dorsky Museums). Her work is included in numerous corporate and private art collections. In 2014 she installed a public art commission for the NYC MTA. She currently maintains and works in her studio in the Hudson Valley.
Pan Asian, in process
My sea of sticks
Mandala/Quasicrystal, in process
Resume
Public Commissions:
2014 MTA Arts for Transit, Pelham Train Station, Metro North Railroad, NY
Private Commissions:
2023 Sculpture for TV series, “Pokerface”, airing on Peacock TV.
2020-2023 Sculpture for TV series, “Ghost/Powerbook 2”, airing on Starz TV.
1992-2021 Multiple private commissions. List available upon request.
Exhibition History:
5/24 “Constructed (Disquiet)”, Maine Jewish Museum, Portland, ME, curated by Lin Lisberger.
4/24 “Ephemeral Bloom”, MAP Space, Port Chester, NY, curated by Ellen Hawley.
4/24 “Taking Form”, Rockland Center of the Arts”, Nyack, NY.
4/24 “A Plethora of Plants: Real, Observed, Imagined”, Hammond Museum, North Salem, NY, Curated by Marcy Freeman.
2/24 “Bloom”, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
2/24 “Alchemy: Paper and Sticks”, Two Person Exhibit, BAU, Beacon, NY.
10/23 “Address: Earth”, Hudson Valley MOCA, Peekskill, NY, curated by Bibiana Huang Matheis.
8/23 “Respire”, BAU, Beacon, NY, curated by Jennifer McGregor, curator award.
6/23 “Welcome To My Garden”, Solo Show, Ivy Brown Gallery, NYC, NY.
2/23 “Living Arrangements”, Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, NYC, NY.
8/22 “Nature Triumphs”, Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT.
8/22 “Art of the Northeast”, Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan, CT, curated by Sharon Butler. Carole Eisner Sculpture Award.
3/22 “Meditations”, Two Person Exhibit, Los Medanos College Art Gallery, online exhibition
2/22 “Perfectly Flawed”, Ivy Brown Gallery, NYC, NY.
1/22 “Spinning Plates”, ODETTA Gallery, online exhibition.
12/21 “Paper Works”, CB Gallery, Katonah, NY.
12/21 “Flat File”, Peep Space, Tarrytown, NY.
12/21 “Full Circle”, WoArt Blog, Online exhibition, curated by Christina Massey.
10/21 “Art of the Northeast”, Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan, CT, curated by Richard Klein.
10/21 “Transcendental States”, Project Gallery V, online exhibition, curated by Adam Liam Rose.
10/21 “Patterns in Nature”, Woart Blog, online exhibition, curated by Christina Massey.
9/21 “Remembering Together: Marking Lives COVID-19”, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA.
7/21 “Cladogram”, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY, curated by Yasmeen Siddiqui.
6/21 “Refresh”, ODETTA Gallery, online exhibition.
5/21 “Continuum”, Perspective Gallery, Hamden, CT, curated by the Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT.
12/20 “W.O.W”, CB Art Gallery, Katonah, NY.
12/20 “Essential Works”, ODETTA Gallery, online exhibition.
12/20 “10 by 10”, Ivy Brown Gallery, online exhibition.
11/20 “Smalls”, Ivy Brown Gallery, online exhibition.
11/20 “Flat File”, Peep Space Gallery, Tarrytown, NY.
9/20 “Pandemic Proof”, ODETTA Gallery, online exhibition.
8/20 “USPS Art Project”, Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT and traveling exhibition throughout the US.
6/20 “Sea Change”, ODETTA Gallery, online exhibition.
6/20 “New Folk”, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY
5/20 “Ether”, In Passing NYC, online exhibition.
4/20 “About Women”, Lockwood Mathews Mansion, Norwalk, CT.
3/20 “Earth Works”, Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY curated by Karl Kusserow, curator of American Art at Princeton Museum.
3/20 “The Space Between”, solo exhibit, Clive Davis Art Center, Bedford Playhouse, Bedford NY.
1/20 “POW”, CB Art Gallery, Katonah, NY
1/20 “New Members Exhibit”, Silvermine Art Gallery, New Canaan, CT
10/19 “Art of The Northeast”, Silvermine Art Gallery, New Canaan, CT curated by Bill Carroll.
9/19 “Small Sculptures Big Ideas”, Tarrytown Pop Up, Tarrytown, NY
6/19 “First Annual Juried Exhibit”, Hudson Valley MOCA, Peekskill, NY, curated by Legacy Russel.
1/19 “Small Works”, Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT, curated by Brigid Kennedy.
12/18 “Small Works 2.5”, Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY, curated by Christina Kee.
5/17 Two Person Exhibit, ODETTA Gallery, Bushwick, Brooklyn
10/16 “The Christa Project”, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC
2/16 “Ruth Keeler Memorial Library Exhibition”, Hammond Museum, North Salem, NY
1/16 “The Untitled”, The College of New Rochelle, NY,
1/16 “Nor’Easter”, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT, curated by Judith McElhone.
9/15 “Lineal Investigations”, Loft Artist Association, Stamford, CT, curated by Robbin Zella.
5/15 “Solos 2015”, Westport Art Center, Westport, CT, curated by Richard Klein.
4/15 “eARTh Day”, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
3/15 “Nature, Inc.”, Rockland Center for the Arts, Nyack, NY, curated by Lynn Stein.
2/15 BAU gallery windows, Solo show, Beacon, NY
9/14 “Natural Enemies” Pelham Art Center, Pelham NY, curated by Elizabeth Saperstein.
5/14 “Worlds of Wonder”, Dorsky Museum New Paltz, NY, curated by Ian Berry.
10/13 “E/F”, Two-person exhibit, Powers Pop-Up, Williamsburg, NY
5/13 “A Vision For White Plains”, Westchester Arts Council, White Plains, NY curated by Naz Munroe
2/13 “Materiality”, Fine Arts Gallery, Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY, curated by Kenise Barnes.
5/11 “The Bank and Trust Show”, Westchester Arts Council, White Plains, NY, curated by Dara Meyers-Kingsley
10/10 Fall Juried Show, Putnam Arts Council, curated by Ed Smith
6/10 “Evolution”, Belle Levine Art Center, Mahopac, NY, curated by Carinda Swann.
6/09 “Rubbish-Art and the Ecosystem”, Westchester Arts Council White Plains, NY
12/08 “Gifts from the Studio”, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
5/08 “Local Growing Conditions”, Westchester Arts Council, White Plains, NY
5/08 “Open Studios”, The Studio, Armonk, NY
4/08 “Westchester Biennial”, Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, NY
2/07 “Another Fine Day”, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
12/06 “A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever”, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
1/06 “Spirit Catchers”, Two- person exhibit, Fine Arts Gallery, Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY.
12/05 “Winter Solstice Exhibit”, The Studio, Armonk, NY
8/05 “Edgy and Elegant”, Westchester Arts Council, NY, curated by Rosemarie Erpf
6/05 “Summer Selections”, The Studio, Armonk, NY
5/05 “Artistic Fragments”, Katonah Museum of Art, NY
12/04 “Winter Solstice Exhibit”, The Studio, Armonk, NY
10/04 "Juried Show", Putnam Center for the Arts, Mahopac, NY, Honorable Mention
1/04 "Winter Solstice Exhibit", The Studio, Armonk, NY
6/03 “The Drawing Show”, Westchester Arts Council, NY
12/02 “Winter Solstice Exhibit”, The Studio, Armonk, NY
7/02 “Director’s Choice Show”, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
5/02 “The Westchester Biennial”, Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, NY, Director’s Choice Award
1/02 “Grassroots”, The Gallery on the Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, NY.
5/95 “Flesh and Grain”, Livestock Gallery, Lower East Side, NYC. Two-person exhibit.
6/94 “Fever”, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH.
6/92 Testsite Gallery, Williamsburgh, NYC, curated by Annie Herron
12/92 “Fever” Show, Exit Art, NYC
5/92 1.5 Show, NYC, curated by Muranushi/Lederman
12/91 Testsite Gallery, Williamsburgh, NYC
10/90 Woodpecker InterArts Space, Soho, NYC. Solo show.
2/88 Points of Departure Gallery, NYC
6/87 Jim Diaz Gallery, East Village, NYC. Solo show
2/87 Jim Diaz Gallery, East Village, NYC
11/86 Jim Diaz Gallery, East Village, NYC
10/80 Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
9/79 Neuberger Museum, Purchase, NY
Collections:
Cygna Corporation, Morgan Stanley Trust, Security Pacific Bank, and many private collections throughout the US and Europe.
Publications:
2024 New Visionary Magazine, curated by Christina Massey, pages 50, 51.
2023 CREATE Magazine, curated by Victoria Fry, Interview pages 54-57.
2021 Catalogue for Remembering Together, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
2021 Interview with Loren Eiferman, Artists and Climate Change -online Magazine.
2021 Interview with Loren Eiferman, Transcendental States, Project Gallery V- online Magazine.
2021 “Loren Eiferman: Drawing in Wood”, Artspiel- online Magazine.
2020 “Mathematics as a Window into The Art of Design and Form”, Journal of Mathematics and The Arts, Taylor and Francis.
2020 Interview with Loren Eiferman, View of the Arts Magazine, London, England.
2020 Interview with Loren Eiferman, Artist Spotlight, Sanctuary Magazine.
2020 Reproduction of work: Parabola Magazine: Goddess Issue, Winter, 2020, “Butternut Goddess”, page 17
2017 Balanced Rock Review, 2017, photograph and profile.
2014 Book cover of: Eisenberg, Goodall and Trethwey. Organizational Communications. Bedford/St. Martins Press.
2012 Reproduction of work: Parabola Magazine: Many Paths One Truth, Winter 2012, “Follow Your Genius”, page 71.
Grants:
Cummington Community of the Arts, Cummington, MA, 1989.
Education:
BFA, SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY, 1979.
Press:
Abby Lubby, The Examiner News, “Stunning and Whimsical: Botanical-Inspired Art at the Hammond Museum”, April 9-15, 2024, pages 22, 24, review.
William Jaeger, The Times Union, “Bloom at Albany Center Gallery bursts with color, vibrancy”, February 20, 2024, review and photograph.
Alison Rooney, The Highlands Current, ‘Sticks and Poles”, February 9, 2024, full page artist profile with multiple photographs.
Melissa Stern, Art Spiel, “A Garden Grows in the Meatpacking District”, July 25, 2023. review with multiple photographs.
Martha Schwendener, The New York Times, Friday, December 30, 2016, Pg. C23, “What To See in the Galleries This Week”.
Georgette Gouveia, Gannett’s The Journal News, May 16, 2008, Pg. D1, “Environmentally Artistic”.
Leslie Cecil, Westchester Magazine, “Cool Art”, February, 2007, review of selected artists from Westchester.
David Schepp, The Journal News, “Shooting Stars”, August 14, 2006, Pg 8c, article and photo.
D. Dominick Lombardi, The New York Times, January 23, 2005, Pg.WE8, “Winter Solstice III”, review with photographs.
Georgette Gouveia, Gannett’s The Journal News, June 2, 2002, Pg. 3E, “Fresh Takes”, cover photo and review of Arts and Culture section.
The New Rochelle Sound Report, March 29, 2002 and April 5, 2002, Centerfold, “Westchester Biennial”, review.
The Rivertowns Enterprise, January 26, 2002, Centerfold, “Grassroots”, photo and review.
Michael Kimmelman, The New York Times, December 18, 1992, “Promising Start at a New Location”, review of Fever Show with photograph.
Amei Wallach, New York Newsday, December 11, 1992, “Reinventing Art for the ‘90s”, review.