Photograph courtesy Steven Finke
Guests experienced classical music among art in the forest of a private property few have ever seen last weekend, as concertnova continued its 20th season. The local group of musicians, known for “putting classical music where it isn’t expected and next to something it isn’t supposed to touch,” presented Between Forms on October 3, performing among the wooded trails of artist Steven Finke’s sculpture forest outside of Felicity, Ohio.
Finke has spent more than a decade creating the various sculptures that adorn the forested property of he and his wife, fellow artist Ana England. His work typically depicts the mortal experience, often portraying the transition between life and death. The one-of-a-kind artistic landscape hosted an afternoon of reflection accompanied by a scenery of soothing nature, life-size sculptures, and classical music intertwined, accessible by walking trails throughout the grounds.
Brianna Matzke, executive director of concertnova, says Finke’s pieces typically involve some aspect of interaction. “There’s always a mechanical element, or you’re supposed to climb inside them, or move something, touch something, listen to something, and so it will be a beautiful, interactive, sensory afternoon,” Matzke says. “And through that journey, we also get to know both Anna and Steven’s perspective on why they do what they do.”
Photograph courtesy Steven Finke
Finke’s most recent sculpture, Emerald Ash Buddha, is the fifth installment of his planned eight-piece project The Waiting Room, and debuted at the event. This specific chapter features the remnants of the trunk of an ash tree that was killed by invasive ash borer beetles. Finke uses the rest of the wood to create benches, which was used by a string quartet’s musicians.
England’s pieces were also on display for guests in an indoor gallery on the property. Much of her work also focuses on the natural world and the living experience, highlighting the innate survival abilities of all beings—”the patterns living creatures use to sense their surroundings, attract or conceal themselves, and survive.”
Photograph courtesy Steven Finke
Percussionist Allen Otte began the afternoon on his semantron, an instrument he also created out of a tree trunk that is played by striking it with a mallet. Otte’s percussion was a fitting way to open the event because a semantron was historically used in religious settings to call people together. After witnessing him play during his visit to set up on their property, England and Finke say Otte’s music “lit up the forest.”
Otte also joined flutist Molly Barth to perform a piece by Lou Harrison, the late composer known for his activism in environmental concerns, pacifism, and gay rights.
According to Matzke, every song and musician was specifically selected to encompass the event’s essence and pair with Finke’s sculptures. All aspects involve some component of humans’ relationship with the natural world, aging, and acceptance.
Photograph courtesy Steven Finke
The event moved in a fluid motion through the woods, leading one musicians’ sound to the next and connecting each piece and the surrounding setting together. The event functioned in a “choose your own path” manner, letting visitors select what directions to go and in turn, what art to see and hear. In the end, all paths led together for a closing performance from Brahms’ repertoire.
“The intention of the work is to create a place and objects that are conducive for thinking about the changes in life. So I conceive this to be a place to come and reflect on life’s issues. I describe it as an integration of nature, sculpture, and human. The viewer completes the work,” Finke says.
