August 16 - September 14, 2025

Opening Reception: Sat., Aug. 16, 2025, 5 - 7 PM

Artist Talk: Sun., Aug. 24, 2025, 2 - 3 PM

Axons, an exhibition of work by artist Marieken Cochius featuring welded steel sculptures and work on paper inspired by forms that reflect energy patterns and material surfaces in motion, think root systems or currents of water. The works range from wall-mounted and free standing steel sculptures to collage on paper. This is the artist’s first solo exhibit at Garrison Art Center and will run from August 16 - September 14, 2025. A public reception with the artist will take place on Saturday, August 16, 5 - 7 PM. 

 

“My work is rooted in the paths energy takes—how it moves, branches, and connects,” said Marieken. Axons, which are the primary transmission lines of nervous systems and transmit electric signals from cells to other cells is the name of her exhibition. Marieken continues, “I explore these intricate networks in welded steel wall pieces, which I think of as ‘welded drawings’. They are the handmade opposite of 3D printing; I use a welder like a drawing tool, building up forms of molten welding wire on steel sheets before cutting them free with a torch. These and the pedestal sculptures echo root systems, appearing held together by wire, their shadows becoming part of the structure. The paper works, dendrite-like pencil movements with glassine collaged on top, are inspired by the fleeting convergence of ice floes and echo the metal works in texture and shapes. Across all of it, I’m fascinated by growth-forms and communication patterns in the natural world—from deep space to neurons. I want to create an effect of movement that is mesmerizing, something that looks familiar, but that you cannot exactly place.”

 

Axons will be on view in the Balter Gallery, concurrent with remnants and schemes, an exhibition by Bill Schuck in the Gillette Gallery. Marieken Cochius is a Dutch born artist living in the Hudson Valley.