Subtle is a word that might describe the two brothers, identical twins out of a set of triplets born in the late 1960s. Sam and Bil Lyons like to joke around about some of their art in an upcoming show, while at the same time send out a subtle, serious message about nature and man-made power that can lead to destruction.
Subtle Salvage is the title of the free-range art show opening Saturday, April 2, at Sideshow Emporium & Gallery in Dolores. It will feature drawings, objects, found and processed art, micro art, furniture and some digital animation. Along with the wide range of art from the Lyons brothers, the show will combine their visual works with the music and lyrics of the Crags, a husband and wife duo from Durango.
To me, a knowledge of strong personal and emotional bonds between artists and musicians that collaborate adds a thrilling tension in viewing or hearing the work, Heather Narwid, owner of Sideshow, said in an email.
While both brothers have participated in other events at Sideshow, Subtle Salvage is the first show solely featuring the works of Bil and Sam Lyons. They both have latched onto free-range art and like to reuse other objects and materials.
The show is a combination of partly found objects and recycled items and then a lot of new added techniques to that, Sam Lyons said. Its not a heavy serious art show. There are a lot of small items.
Sam Lyons works for the Montezuma County Conservation District and said hes becoming more and more interested in sustainable art.
Bil Lyons, who tightens up his woodworking skills by doing timber framing large pieces of timber precut to join together airtight said he also likes using recycled material.
In this culture its amazing what you can salvage. A lot of materials I used (for the show) were left over from construction projects, he said.
The twins, after graduating from Montezuma-Cortez High School in 1987, both went to college to study architecture. Sam Lyons started using digital animation in 2001, by doing 3-D modeling for architecture, construction, and engineering work. The show Saturday will feature 15 minutes of his digital animation. It wont be a narrative story, more like animation tests with landscape, trees, machines, logos and text.
Along with the digital animation, Sam Lyons art will feature some woodwork, sculptures and laser-etched pieces created with a laser cutter. Hes not big into painting, just the opposite of Bil Lyons whose Solar Flares piece, painted on plexiglass with a backlight, is featured on the flyer for the show.
It gives the paint a totally different quality, Bil Lyons said.
Bil Lyons will also include some custom-made furniture at Sideshow.
You can get some nice curves out of wood. I dont like to build with straight pieces of wood. Theres a lot of curved, organic wood, he said. It changes as I build it because I have to work with the way the wood is.
The Lyons said they also like to give people the tongue in cheek side of art. They almost titled the show Excuse me ... did you just art? A retrospective part of the show will feature a few funny grade-school drawings from their time spent at Manaugh Elementary School that Sam Lyons found in an old folder.
While the Subtle Salvage show leans toward the humorous side, the Lyons brothers have a serious cause to which they are donating part of their art proceeds. They were moved to take action when they saw the horrifying images from Japan after an earthquake and tsunami hit. Oddly enough, Bil Lyons was experimenting with a painting of a giant wave, based off famous Japanese wave painter Katsushika Hokusa, two weeks before the tsunami struck.
The brothers researched how they could best help their fellow man, and women and children across the world. They discovered Peace Wind Japan, a nongovernmental organization based in Tokyo that is dedicated to supporting people in distress in various parts of the world, but is closer to home for people affected in that area.
It was hard to ignore, Sam Lyons said of the disaster.
That event brings up so much more about climate change, forces of nature, and trying to harness power with a nuclear power plant. We (humans) might be more destructive than nature.
Reach Paula Bostrom at paulab@cortezjournal.com.