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Had Their Tubes Tied 40 x 30 Acrylic on Canvas 2011 |
Currently on view is a collection
of pieces by members of the Canton Artists’ League who provided one or two
pieces to be displayed during the next several weeks at Stark State College in
Jackson. No jury was in place to accept or edit works, but 2 local
non-affiliated artists served as jurors and awarded ribbons. Yes I am a member, yes I put two pieces in
the show, no I did not get a ribbon, and no that has nothing to do with what is
written here just for the sake of full disclosure. I went early because the
official opening conflicts with other events going on right now so I will not
be a spoiler of any surprises.
There
are some spectacular pieces in the show, a term I do not use lightly, and there
are some clunkers….there are pieces by people I have never heard of and pieces
by old timers (as in having been a member for awhile) that surprised me in
pleasant ways. There are some tired
looking works in that process and outcome have become formulaic, and there are
some old fashioned methods that still produce some incredible results. I was a
bit confused by the hanging or display choices but considering how little space
there is to work with, the number of pieces included and some unavoidable
obstacles called plaques and signage, to even mount a show of this variety can
be daunting without thousands of people walking by, or tables and trashcans to
deal with. Suffice to say, consider how much more powerful the red of Carolyn
Jacob’s photo “Longing for the Old Country” would have looked placed next to
Liz Scarps “Felines” or Carol Mendenhall’s “Magic Carpet”, the red would have
popped right out rather than get lost down the hallway, overwhelmed by its
neighbors. But I am not being critical because I sure as heck don’t want to
come down there and hang it. Yes, I have a few more observations along these
lines, but shall keep them to myself. One really good pairing however is Gail
Wetherall-Sack’s “Under the Yum-Yum Tree” placed next to Carolyn Jacob’s
“Impressions of a Rose” as the pieces seem to reach out to each other and
compliment the colors and movement within each respectively.
Because
many of those reading this may have yet to see the show or plan to attend on
Wednesday’s opening from 6-8pm, I will use my remaining word count to call
attention to some must-see pieces!! Let us start with the Yum-Yum Tree
mentioned above. Gail’s piece expands upon her collage and mixed media works to
become less about what “is” and more about what “is not” as in allowing the
negative places and spaces to become as much a part of the imagery as the
elements of a tangible nature. Everything is in harmony with this work, from
the frame to the lacy organic shapes within a rectilinear format. I see less of
Russ Hench, but he is still lurking about her world just a bit.
Another
stunner for sure is Claudia Stimer Mullane’s “Poppies Popping”, a larger piece
identified as a watercolor but which appears to be more of an ink on perhaps a
vellum paper. The manipulation of the surface with creasing, scratching,
pooling, blotting and some gauche (just guessing here because I don’t really
know for sure) makes for a lush surface that has depth created by light, not by
manipulations or formulas or even happenstance. She has designed her work with
intent and executed it with both aggression and restraint. That is why I found it so….as my notes
say…gorgeous, not something seen that often.
Nancy
Michel’s “Standing Proud and Tall”, another floral watercolor, would have stood
out more (taller and prouder?) over next to Jim Grand’s “White Iris” as I
almost missed her piece. His is crisp and clean as well and nice to see him
display in this show.
Don’t
miss Liz Hertzi’s “Ember Hynm Nipper” of which I have no idea what that means,
but I sure did like the work! I guess it is a mixed media doll, which is what
some passing kid called it, but I think “totem” is a better fit. She (the
figure, not Liz) hangs like an offering to lost childhood, perhaps one
signifying past abuse and survival…the brass crown and missing foot, wild yarn
hair and glassy eyes are captivating to not just me, but whoever has already
purchased it from the show.
Be sure
to check out the small works in the display case. Yih Yee Wonz submitted a bead
and shell necklace called “The Fibonacci” and Michelle Mulligan has a small
work called “Hot Pepper, Hot Dance” that would have made my ribbon list. Again,
the framing is all part of the presentation in a way that works rather than
overwhelms. As I tried to figure the best way to describe why this little gem
is successful, the style of another local artist who shall remain nameless but
whom we see only twice a year at the same shows each time with work that never
changes came to mind, Judi L knows who I am talking about. Michelle’s piece is
like a punch line to those other larger images, all the best and needed parts
without the clutter of the set up, delivered in a straightforward manner and to
the point.
Others
may find the need to point out the weaknesses of a group like ours, but no such
words shall pass here. This group struggles to remain viable and active and
relevant in an art scene that is becoming increasingly about cartoons and
monsters, computer manipulation and digital creation. The skills of drawing and
painting and an appreciation for beauty and technique seem to be fading with
the passage of time from one generation of artists to the next. Yes there are
exceptions where subject matter may be “different’ but the methods of rendering
remain faithful to the masters. This
trend is not just in art, new movies cannot compete with the actors and
storylines of the silver screen from the
late 1930’s to the early 1960’s when actors did not have to be good looking,
they had to know how to truly act without a bunch of action masking a lack of
skills. But that is a topic for another day.
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