The devastating impact of Hurricane Ian in 2022 has been on many minds since it ran a path of destruction across Southwest Florida. Artist Judy Pfaff explores that impact in her newest installation "Picking Up the Pieces," which opens Nov. 19 at the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College and is described as her largest installation since 2017. Museum leaders say it defies or crosses boundaries, combining painting, sculpture and architecture.
Pfaff witnessed the damage in Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, and has turned to her art to explore the physical and emotional power of the storm. In “Picking Up the Pieces,” she simulates the storm’s chaos and destruction and what followed as it moved away from the area.
Curator Rangsook Yoon said there are two parts to the installation. One is described as “Judy’s hymn to nature, celebrating the natural beauty and abundance of Florida in particular” with bright colors and LED and neon lights amid found objects and paintings. The second part is the site-specific installation, with a variety of objects raised into the air creating an artist’s vision of the destruction of human and natural habitats.
