Shutter Speed: Senior Show by Alyssa Dibell (and some other musings...)

The McFadden Gallery space at Malone will be host to a series of rotating student exhibitions through December 10^th for graduating seniors. The day I stopped in featured Alyssa Dibell and her aptly entitled show, Shutter Speed. Before I get into discussing her work, viewers need to understand what a senior retrospective show entails in order to give the installation a fair assessment. Depending upon the size of the art program in question, a senior show can focus on a specific body of work in a unified vision, or incorporate a variety of works showcasing what the student has learned. Malone would be considered a “small” art program compared to Kent, Akron or OSU so the latter style of show is well suited to how its graduates present themselves as emerging professional artists.

The posted statement relates how she chose her title for the show. Simply put, a shutter on the camera is the devise that opens and closes (at super fast speeds) allowing light to hit the film or sensors (digital cameras now have to be considered) thus determining exposure.  Like time spent in college, how one develops (as an artist in this case) is determined by the times and places and exposures one encounters during this very brief period of their life. Ms. Dibell’s show is a snapshot album of what she has learned. Though a bit disjointed to include a little of everything (quite understandable and in a way, how we honor our teachers), I could see an emerging vision and hear the beginnings of her artistic voice.

I honestly don’t know if the work will still be on view by the time anyone reads this, but I have a feeling we will be seeing her work again so you can say you read it here first!  My personal best in show goes to her watercolor “Epic Proportions” which is almost a painted version of the styles and markings found in her fabric works. My notes say “open the quilt to add a window with the watercolor behind it, pull the two media together and integrate”.  Visually, she has depth in several areas and now is the time to focus on the media and work her strengths into one direction combining these elements. By this I mean mix the photography with fabrics making multiple layers of printing techniques. Many of her works have very visceral surfaces some formed by staining and others by additive elements. This is the point however where she gets a bit overwhelmed with “stuff” added to the surfaces.  My favorite word pops up here again, “edit”, which is a learned skill and one she can in no way be faulted for at this early stage of her career. Many a senior show suffers from this malady, mine did too, because we want to get it all out there and experiment. I learned to edit through fashion.  The same formula works for interior design, menu planning or any other situation where there can be just “too much” stuff.  Okay, jk, so what is the formula?

Simply this, close your eyes and count to 10. When you open them look at whatever is in question, know that you must remove one item from it. The key word is must. Often one “thing” will lead to two or three and by taking away that which is the weakest, what remains is stronger. The process can be repeated as many times as something bothers you when opening your eyes. Of course we all know that when it comes to our own shows, houses or tables, rules don’t apply. Okay, back to Ms. Dibell’s show….I suggest she take her three personal favorites, and play with the techniques she used to make each one, then integrate those methods to create one piece.  See what happens by challenging herself to make it all work with the goal of getting the resulting “style” into a juried show here or elsewhere. That first acceptance letter is a real kick in the pants! Now that I have discovered the Malone galleries, and other local college venues (Stark State’s 2^nd floor hallway, Kent State Stark’s lower level space and Mt. Union’s Crandall Gallery) I hope others will consider adding these locations to their art hopping and shopping habits. Emerging artists are all around us so don’t miss out on new talents (mixed in with us older folks too every now and then).   Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

Just wondering why....(quizz time)

Saturday was a “review-a-palooza” for me and still I could not hit all the shows that opened or are on display right now. Since there were errands out north, I stopped in at Akron U to see the faculty exhibit and then to Summit Arts Space to see Kaleidoscope. Both are well worth the time and effort to go see, especially the latter which is probably the best Akron area show I have seen in a long time. Summit Arts Space on Market Ave near the Akron Art Museum will be on the First Saturday Akron Art Walk in December. Might as well make a weekend of art hopping and shopping by going to Canton’s First Friday, then to Don Drumm’s Studio and then the full Artwalk on Saturday.  Don’t miss Jack Baker’s Art Glassworks in the North Hill area.  I completed my rounds by going to see a senior exhibit at Malone in the McFadden Gallery. More on that show later. 

I am not going to do a full (or even a partial) review of either of the two Akron shows because I have bigger questions to ponder. My side porch, a glass of wine and my husband allow me to work out many of my blog ideas before reaching this stage of the process. I am direct, he is a diplomat. I am blunt, he has bedside manner….so you get where I am going. He helps me say what I want to say in a dignified way. So when I came home with questions regarding the participants (as opposed to the products) in these shows, how to best frame the issue was the topic at hand. Because I may feel differently than others (world shattering newsflash there folks!) and the answers to the questions may never be known, the best way to ask them is in the form of a multiple choice quiz. (And you thought you were done with school…) I made a statement to him last night that perhaps I actually say what a lot of others are thinking but nobody really wants to say out loud, or in this case, ask.  So here it goes, 5 sample quiz questions and possible answers. You be the judge. 

1. Why is it that many (not all!!) college art department faculty do not exhibit in or participate in “community” shows in the communities in which they work?

a.       They are too busy teaching to make enough work to enter.

b.      They are afraid (like all of us) of getting rejected and affecting their reputations as being art instructors.

c.       They feel that non-faculty level artists are not as good as they are and therefore do not want to mingle with the lesser “professionals”.

d.      Their own academic community does not encourage it so as to maintain quality control.

e.      They don’t want to be caught exhibiting in the same show as one of their students and thereby loosing the image of being better because they are the professor and thereby more professional.

2. Why is it that realism and the skills of observational drawing and painting are not being stressed in foundation level art courses as much anymore?

a.       The instructors can’t draw themselves having come up through art programs that have veered away from the basic skills, favoring feelings instead.

b.      Digital media has overtaken the need to develop observational skills because any image can be captured at any moment and manipulated as needed.

c.       Realism is considered “basic” and boring. Something wild, crazy and creatively displayed is far superior because those who don’t get the message are just not that cultured in art.

3. Why are titles no longer necessary?

a.       It is too much work to think of something related to the image.

b.      Labels are too confining to the idea presented.

c.       Someone (an instructor?) told them that if they can’t be clever, then be quiet.

d.      Nobody uses titles anymore, they are so old school. 

4. Why is it that just because something is BIG, then it has to be good?

a.       Because professionals have worked out their ideas and can create larger pieces without making mistakes and wasting materials.

b.      Everybody knows that bigger is a better value and probably more important….because it is bigger.

c.       It stands a better chance of getting in a show because it is bigger…and everybody knows that blah blah blah…..

d.      Good art is big art, just visit any major city and you will see that it must be so because lots of money was spent on it and lots of money must mean it is good.

5. If it is hanging from the ceiling in the middle of a space and….

a.       …I run into it thinking it is something under construction because it is made of construction materials, then it is performance art or in need of an apology?

b.      …it falls down, is it still art?

c.       …pretty much blocking the hallway, should anyone call the fire marshall or is that interfering with one’s rights as an artist and self expression?

Ah yes my readers, I could go on and on with such questions. But the dreaded self imposed word limit fairy has sprinkled his pixel dust on my computer keyboard so I shall quit before creating more controversy.  Oh, one last comment, to those who teach and exhibit and are actively engaged in your local community on all levels of participation, I thank you! Teaching by example is often the best lesson.

Happy Anniversary to SnarkyArt

Today marks the one year anniversary of my first blog posting, numbering 123 entries, since I first got online with Snarky Art.  Now I have to decide if it is worth continuing with reviews and commentary or pour those hours of viewing and writing into my own visual artwork instead. The lack of feedback and followers can get frustrating.  I was told to get on Facebook, that the exposure to an increased number of people would help. Well….it didn’t. Not that I can tell anyway.  Then again, I find the challenge of writing positive and comprehensible commentary to be very good for my brain cells since medical science has proven that exercising our mental capabilities is just as important to productive longevity as is watching our diets and finances.  And to add to the column of positive aspects…..this is so much cheaper than a therapist!

So let us review how things have changed in the past 365 days of being a blogger. The Akron area is currently off my radar since I no longer travel up there twice a week. I have found a couple of spaces that I would not have visited if not writing about them.  The work of many area artists has come to my attention with far deeper appreciation than if I was not writing about them. My house would probably be covered in eggs and my tires flattened if I did not have a pre-reader for each posting who advises me on just how far I can go without crossing the line towards the negative. I refuse to be critical of anyone, instead offering feedback (which is a gift according to the principles of Scouting) where I would do so if still a teacher in the classroom.  Some postings have allowed a bit of insight into aspects of what influences and motivates me to work in the visual arts. And finally, no matter how many times my name appears in print….it is still spelled wrong at least half the time.

Now that Snarky Art is a studio location as well, outside of my dedicated three rooms here at home (I miss my enormous work space and the exercise of running up and down the stairs 10 times a day however), my work has changed dramatically. Being “at work” again, as in leaving at a specific time, returning at a specific time, scheduling things around work hours, has made me far more productive.  So too, has what I am creating changed and will be changing dramatically over the next year or so. Endings and beginnings are both in sight. So the question remains out there….is this blog site one of those endings or am I just beginning to be a place for others to find something to talk about? What say you?