Participating artists: Cal Lane, Jason Peters, and Sarah Smith

Each of the three artists represented in Tooth and Nail engage the ever-ambiguous contrast between the organic and the inorganic. Although their work is wildly diverse, Lane, Peters, and Smith all employ found objects to construct finished products whose impact is nearly opposite that of the original item. Furthermore, the sheer beauty of their work is startling because it always far outshines the sum of their component parts.

In her work, Cal Lane commandeers construction equipment and feminizes them by force: she sears lace patterns into steel I-beams, sifts dirt into dainty designs, and flame-cuts flowery lattices into dumpsters. The level of skill and patience required to achieve the intricacy of her work is awe- inspiring.

Jason Peters’ handling of the readymade seeks to exploit the functionality of his objects past the breaking point. His past works have included huge spheres of tires woven together, impenetrable forests of metal chair frames, and giant winding snakes of stacked buckets.

Sarah Smith also uses recycled materials, but to a very different end. Her work consists of carefully constructed montages of romanticized nature scenes where plants and animals flourish. However, the escapist allure of her landscapes betrays the means she uses of attaining them, for her work is largely made out of refuse and recycled paper. The contrast between the materials and their overall effect can lead the viewer to reflect upon their own relationship with the environment.