Judy Onofrio

"Reveal"  mixed media wall sculpture  40"h x 19"w x 14.5"d  2012

"Twist"  mixed media wall sculpture  43"h x 27"w  x13"d  2012

"Hydrangea"  mixed media  42"h x 28"w x 16"d  2009

"Hydrangea"  detail

"Wrap" mixed media  10"w x 25"l x 13"d  2012

Judy Onofrio's work with bones speak so eloquently for for itself that I'm almost at a loss for words. I will keep my usual micro-review even shorter than usual. Bones are potent reminders of mortality, and her work, undeniably beautiful, even elegant, contrasts with our more usual associations with death and decay. Even in a strictly materialist sense, death is a transformative process upon which life depends. Such ideas inevitably lure us into more philosophical musings that border on edges of religion. But even a non-religious skeptic like myself can easily grasp and appreciate what the artist means when she says, "To me, they feel like prayers".
There is plenty more to look through at her website: www.judyonofrio.com
Her work can be seen in person in Minneapolis at Thomas Barry Fine Art.