13FOREST Gallery is pleased to present Emerge, an exhibition featuring work by contemporary artists Dena Bach, Christopher Frost, Raúl Gonzalez III, Nancy Popper, Michael Seif and Mark J. Stock. Emerge seeks to explore the changing identities, thoughts and forms that take shape in an unpredictable world.

Through various media, Emerge presents the work of six artists and their unique interpretations on the theme of transformation—be it mythical, cultural, intellectual or physical. Inspired by the Japanese legend of "kitsune," foxes of exceptional intelligence that could shape-shift into human forms, Emerge is a meditation on metamorphoses in settings both commonplace and supernatural.

While Emerge considers dualities such as environmental versus human manipulation of materials, it also investigates more nuanced spectra of private and public personas, and form and formlessness. This exhibition is dedicated to unity with an eye toward truths that remain hidden and others that emerge.

13FOREST Gallery will host a reception to mark the opening of the exhibition on Saturday, May 21, from 4 to 6 pm.

May 21- July 9, 2016

Sat 5/21, 4-6 pm: Opening Reception
Thu 6/2, 7-9 pm: On Shapeshifting - A conversation with the exhibition's artists
Sat 6/11, 1-5 pm: Arlington Porchfest
Sat 6/18, 12-4 pm: Feast of the East in Capitol Square
Sat 6/25, 4-6 pm: Scholars' Rocks in the Modern Age - A talk with sculptor Christopher Frost

About the Artists

Dena Bach studied painting at Brandeis University and holds a BFA in Illustration from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Bach began cutting designs out of paper in adolescence, as a way to relieve the boredom of high school classes, and has honed her practice ever since. She points to both the ephemeral and humble nature of paper-cutting as the appeal of the medium, citing the ubiquity of cut paper across cultures and history. As such, Bach frequently draws on folk art traditions from around the world in her own work. She lives and works in Newton, Massachusetts.

Christopher Frost began his education at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and continued his studies at Parsons Paris School of Art and Design. Frost received his master's degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His sculptures have been exhibited and collected in museums and institutions throughout New England. With a grant from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Frost traveled throughout China, exploring the ancient tradition of scholars' rocks and their current settings within contemporary, urban Chinese society. These travels inspired a body of work that investigates history, material, imagery and form.  Frost lives and works in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Raúl Gonzalez III was born in El Paso, Texas, and grew up going back and forth between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, México. Currently, Lowriders in Space, which features his illustrations, is nominated for the 2016-2017 Texas Bluebonnet Award. Gonzalez is a 2015 recipient of the Brother Thomas Fellowship and the 2011 recipient of the Wet Paint Grant, presented by Canson and Beautiful/Decay. In 2010, he worked on his first large-scale mural, sponsored by the Boston Arts Commission. His work has been widely exhibited throughout the Northeast, as well as on the West Coast. Gonzalez is committed to introducing youth to the visual arts and has taught in the education departments in Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art and Museum of Fine Arts. He lives and works in Medford, Massachusetts.

Nancy Popper earned her undergraduate degree from Bard College, and a graduate degree from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, as well as a certificate in printmaking from the Institute d'Arte in Venice, Italy. Her prints have appeared as illustrations in several publications, including the New Yorker and the Boston Globe Magazine. Additionally, Popper's work hangs in numerous private and public collections, such as City Hall in Kanazawa, Japan, and the Office of Cultural Affairs in Boston City Hall. She currently lives in Cambridge, and works in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Michael Seif holds a BS in vertebrate zoology from Cornell University. His photography has been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout New England and elsewhere in the United States. Seif began photographing the nude figure in 1969 with an approach toward the human body that was, and continues to be, informed by his earlier studies in a human anatomy lab. He aspires to capture the wonder and joy at seeing the body in motion. He lives and works in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Mark J. Stock is an artist, scientist and programmer who creates still and moving images and objects combining elements of nature, physics, chaos, computation and algorithm. His work explores the tension between the natural world and its simulated counterpart; between organic and inorganic, digital and analog, structure and fluid. Stock has been showing work since 2000 and has been in more than 80 curated and juried exhibitions, including Ars Electronica, ASPECT Magazine and seven SIGGRAPH Art Galleries. He has spoken at numerous scientific, graphics and art conferences and has published papers in a variety of fields. Stock completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan in 2006 and works out of his studio in Somerville, Massachusetts. 

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