“A New Dimension in Art: The Ralph Hurst Collection”

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Hurst Exhibit

Dr. Jean Hurst, Curator of the J. Hurst Classical Art Gallery of St. Simons Island has announced the release of nearly 40 original works of art by her late husband, American sculptor /artist, Ralph N. Hurst (1918-2003). The Left Bank Art Gallery, which first exhibited Hurst’s sculpture in 1975, will be exhibiting selected sculpture and bas relief in an exhibition entitled “A New Dimension in Art: The Ralph Hurst Collection” opening on May 8, 2014“A New Dimension in Art: The Ralph Hurst Collection”

Ralph Hurst’s illustrious career exceeded fifty years during which he was an educator at universities and curator at museums of art, most notably Florida State University and the Ongunquit Maine Museum of Art. He created thousands of works of sculpture and bas relief which captivated collectors, private and corporate, all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hurst’s works have appeared in museums and exhibitions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His work is still well recognized and honored for his brilliance and versatility. A permanent collection of his work is on continual exhibition at the Ralph Hurst Gallery in Tallahassee, Florida.

Of all the art forms, three-dimensional sculpture is perhaps the most awe-inspiring. The immense talent, skill, and labor intensive hours required to produce monumental sculpture in stone, wood or metal is unprecedented among all art forms. Hurst’s works in marble and alabaster are perhaps his greatest and most revered accomplishments – the precision of his skill and genius to remove stone bit- by-bit to create exquisite forms of swans, birds and the human form is truly astounding.

Bas Relief is an extraordinary sculpting technique in which Ralph Hurst excelled. An art form dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, bas relief in stone involve the chiseling away of the background, leaving the raised areas to form the two dimensional relief sculpture. The works in the exhibit consist of artist proofs taken from bas relief carvings Hurst produced using plaster. Once the original image was complete, a mold was made and used to reproduce the original image using paper, synthetic stone, and other materials. The results produced an outstanding two dimensional artwork with a surface containing realistic shadows.

The Left Bank Art Gallery was proud to represent the sculpture of Ralph Hurst for over 20 years during his lifetime. “Hurst’s white marble and alabaster sculpture brought his talent and artistry to the forefront of the Left Bank Art Gallery,” says Millie Wilcox, owner of the gallery since the late 1960s.

An opening reception will be held Thursday, May 8 from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Left Bank Art Gallery. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. The artwork will be available for viewing online at www.LeftBankArtGallery.com and www.JHurstArtGallery.com. Other major pieces of the J. Hurst Collection are available for private viewing by appointment. Contact Dayna@LeftBankArtGallery.com for details.

“A New Dimension in Art: The Ralph Hurst Collection,” which will run until June 5 is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours. For more information on the exhibition, visit www.LeftBankArtGallery.com.