Father Jim Weckbacher, who works with clay and fire, and his son James, the observer and documenter, come at it from different ways to present a unified theme for their exhibition, IT’S THE NATURE OF THINGS, A Father & Son Exhibition, now open in the Summit Artspace Transition Gallery.

Free and open to the public, the show runs until July 7 at Summit Artspace on East Market, 140 E. Market St., Akron. The Weckbachers are Wadsworth residents.

This exhibition deals with the beauty discovered in the natural deterioration of objects through the passage of time. Nature, through time, continually paints beautiful new surfaces and sculpts new forms. Father Jim Weckbacher deals with the natural world in his ceramic pieces and son James in the realm of man-made depicted in his photographs.

“The ceramic work I create has its basis in form, texture and color in the aged and weathered fragments of nature.  I continually find new beauty in the broken and worn down debris I see in the natural world around me.  These often overlooked pieces of leaves, stones, sticks and bones, by their obvious insignificance, seem to compel me to try to lift them from the floor of the forest or some secluded beach to the level of a gallery wall or sculpture stand,” says Jim Weckbacher.

Son James sees beauty in the deterioration he records. “From architectural structures to cell phones to vehicles, these creations eventually succumb to their environment and thus transform from their original intent into a hybrid of human creation and natural order. Buildings become dilapidated monuments often engrossed by graffiti of vines and foliage. Automobiles morph into rusted skeletal shells slowly withering away in vast mechanical graveyards. However, therein lies with these transformations, caused by age and elements a thing of beauty, “ he explains.

Open hours also include the Summit Artspace Artwalk on, Saturday, July 1, when the galleries will be open from noon to 9 p.m. The Artwalk, a continuation of the free popular downtown event, will feature art talks by resident studio artists, pop-up shops and music at Summit Artspace from 5 to 9 p.m.

Parking is available behind the Summit Artspace building and in a lot between South Summit Street and Broadway when visiting the gallery. Summit Artspace is handicap accessible and has an elevator. For information about Summit Artspace, go to summitartspace.org or call 330-376-8480. Find Summit Artspace on Facebook, on Twitter @AkronAreaArts, Instagram and Snapchat.