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| "The Great Bear" by Scott Alan Evans...used totally without his permission. |
"Terra Imaginara: Mapping the Fantastic"
Scott Alan Evans is a resident artist of Studio 2091 in
Cuyahoga Falls and lives in Mogadore, but I think he is a Canton kid at heart.
Yeah I know, he is a grown man, but upon viewing his new show, I think his
childlike awe and appreciation of the worlds beyond our own are to be a
celebrated state of mind. The collection of 16 pieces is based ever so roughly
on the concept of maps. Being of the age where one still uses a never to be
refolded the same way paper monstrosity of colored lines often leading to an
argument in the front seat of a moving car type of map, (trust me, Naggie the navigation
device has saved many a marriage) the word “maps” had a different meaning for
me. I went in expecting the use of traditional maps in various forms, but found
nothing of the sort. Instead, I found
works by an artist who creates his own spaces and places then records them for
others to see. Some are historical in
nature while others are beyond earthly boundaries.
First impressions would have one think that this is a group
show by many different artists as there is such a variety of media, scale, and
content, as well as pallet and purpose. SAE (saving myself some typing time) is
exploring his artistic waters, yet to focus on just which river to follow, but
that is a good thing as refinement will come with time. Consistent elements are
found throughout, from one piece to the next and I could see that given time,
he will begin to pull these together. But for now, who cares! Enjoy his energy and
passion for places and the text which accompanies many of the works (near and
dear to my heart) that provide a much needed foundation for those who might
pass by too quickly.
As I looked at various pieces, I kept getting the same
vision, one of him lying in the grass as a kid under the darkening sky, making
up stories about the stars, weaving tales of imaginary beings and dreaming of
things most of us would not understand. That is how Steven Spielberg and George
Lucas both credit their creative genius, having spent hours staring up at the ceiling
or the stars….. just think’n. SAE’s
works range from a recreated map found in the Hobbit series to a sophisticated
digital piece called “Cloud Atlas”.
Three pieces need extra mention here, first being “The Great
Bear” which is a large work on leather, mounted on wood and enhanced with paint
and nail head studs. Based on the constellation of the bear, I was taken by the
connection between his subject matter and the materials. Leather is a hide from
animals, the subtle sheen of the nail heads could be stars and the washed grain
of the wood underneath has an atmospheric quality reminiscent of the cosmos.
“Rainbow Kingdom” is a digital print that I do believe is of
a slab of asphalt which, before computer embellishment, was stained with oil or
other such things. Shapes and colors are then enhanced to become places on a “map”.
The way he did this is just enough to make it his own, but not so far as to
scream manipulation and force the concept into the viewers face. “Beach of Venus” is a similar such work on the
opposite side of the room. I liked that one too.
My favorite is “The Painted Isle” which is also his postcard
image but is far better in person than in print. The work is a remnant of
something, worn and salvaged, consisting of layer upon layer upon layer of paint
that has then been somewhat pieced together and laid out on a surface to create
his own Pangaea. Positive and negative spaces hint at modern day Spain, the British
Isles and perhaps Siberia, yet not really. What struck me was how these layers
of paint are like the civilizations that have occupied the same lands over
centuries and left their marks, their monuments and their memories and upon
which we keep building, living and dying. Was this an intentional piece or one
of happenstance, I do not know, but it works and it works well. Congrats on a great show Scott.
The show is up through March 10th.
