Elegance in the Ordinary

Tilly Woodward at Olson-Larsen

April 12 - June 1, 2013

NEST SPOON Oil on archival mat board 11 x 9

Review by Alissa Sheldon

April 29, 2013

April 12, Spring Gallery Night in Valley Junction, found another well-hosted opening at Olson-Larsen Galleries.  The Snacks were playing, the wine was pouring, and the crudités were abundant.  The show, featuring new work from Scott Charles Ross, Sarah Grant, and Tilly Woodward was clearly a success.  As the crowd wandered through the pleasantly meandering gallery, a quiet bottleneck began to form at the first curve.  Here was the work of Tilly Woodward, and it was stopping people in their tracks.

There is something quietly meditative about the work of Woodward.  She takes subjects that the typical viewer may be inclined to dismiss and makes them treasured icons of simpler times - times free of multitasking, text messaging, and racing from one don’t-miss activity to the next.  Everyday subjects – a fish, a spoon, a bird’s nest – are taken out of the hustle and bustle of context and placed elegantly against a vast black field.  In doing so, Woodward calms the eye and gives the viewer an opportunity to focus on the intricacy of each item.  It is easy to fall into a peaceful contemplation of what our eyes and minds often take for granted.

EGGS X2, RUBBER BAND BALL Oil on archival mat board 11 x 9

Woodward cites the Northern Renaissance as an influence, and indeed her treatment of a baseball or a cicada exudes the same reverence as portraits of kings and queens did centuries ago.  The mundane is elevated to nobility.  Of course, Woodward’s use of oil aids in this effect, and she is incredibly adept with the medium.

The petite scale of her work adds to this feeling as well.  That the subjects themselves occupy such a small space gives the impression of gazing at a treasure inside a jewel box, and viewers may be surprised to find themselves seriously considering the symbolic relation of a rubber band ball to an egg.

Whether it is Woodward’s intent or not, perhaps the world needs more of these opportunities to pause, reflect, and just plain breathe.  For the gift of that moment, the crowd at Olson-Larsen thanks her.

29 April 1 Permalink

Finds Light in the Dark

Kindra Noel’s “Shades of Gray”, Genus Landscape Architects

February 2013

Noel’s “Beautiful View” Photo: Nicci Simon Cooper

Review by Alissa

February 27, 2013

A brief disclaimer:  You know you are in trouble as an art critic when you walk into a show and, before you have so much as snapped a photo or jotted a note, you have whipped out your wallet and purchased a piece. 

This was exactly my knee-jerk reaction to Kindra Noel’s show, “Shades of Gray”, currently on display at Genus Landscape Architects.  I walked through the door, my eyes locked on a gem, and I absolutely had to know it was mine before I could process another thought or take another step.  Whether this completely discredits me as a “serious” reviewer or totally exults Noel as an artist is beside the point.  This type of raw response to art does not come along every day – at least not for me – and I think it is worth noting.

Photo: Nicci Simon Cooper

“Shades of Gray is an exploration of hope, an illustration of joyous journeys through troubled times,” Noel writes in her artist’s statement. I have never met the artist, and so do not know what sort of “troubled times” her statement refers to.  Even the symbolism she uses has universality to it – in one series, dark skeletons take on a vulnerability that could be interpreted as a health scare, a heart break, or a terrible loss. That Noel does not specify her struggle serves the collection well, making it that much more relatable and easily accessible to anyone who has survived a trial while still “embracing the magnificence of life”.  

Viewing the show through this lens of Noel’s allows viewers to take in a seemingly everyday subject – say a simple landscape of the East Village or a camera - and infuse it with a sense of gratitude. The artist’s play between the ideas of light and dark – be it the colors chosen, the imagery used, or just simply the weight of a brushstroke – is evident throughout.  These contradictions are subtle enough to work aesthetically, but pronounced enough to be conceptually arresting.  The fact that Noel can convey such depth of emotion through her art without further verbiage is a testament to the promise of this young artist.

“Shades of Gray” is currently on display at Genus Landscape Architects at 325 East 5^th Street in Des Moines and may be viewed during business hours.  For more information on the artist, visit kindranoel.com.

27 February Permalink

A cruise ship under duress, re-enacted in paper

Thomas Demand, Des Moines Art Center

Closing December 16, 2012

Sill from Demand’s Pacific Sun

Review by Alissa

November 14, 2012

My first thought upon viewing Thomas Demand’s video installation, “Pacific Sun”, was that it was cute.  Watching the set tilt back and forth, the unoccupied furniture obeying physics by sliding and rolling across the room was an almost hypnotic experience.  To be honest, it looked more than a little like a Pixar film prior to the characters being inserted.  I liked it, but I wasn’t sure why this was being featured at a world-class institution like the Des Moines Art Center.

When I learned that this was a stop-motion reenactment of an actual event – the cruise ship the Pacific Sun’s endurance of a violent storm off the coast of New Zealand – the work became more intriguing.  Demand had mimicked the scene captured by a camera in the ship’s bar during the storm, removed the humans from it, and millimeter by millimeter recreated the havoc.  This attention to detail combined with the fact that absolutely everything in the shot was created at full scale out of paper showed intriguing skill and creativity.

Video surveillance which inspired the creation of  ”Pacific Sun”

However, once I went home and Googled the YouTube video that was supposed to be Demand’s inspiration, the piece became very sinister indeed.  Seeing the actual footage of the dangers that the humans in the nightmare were enduring was upsetting in and of itself.   The bartenders are seen bracing themselves on the bar as the objects on it go sliding off.  Carts and furniture slide across the room just as in Demand’s piece, but this time they slam not only into walls, but also into the people standing in the way.  And the huge pillar that is the centerpiece of the room is now an anchor that a man clings to as he attempts to hold tight to a woman to keep her from flying out of screen as the ship takes yet another lurch.  More upsetting than the visuals to me were the comments of viewers:  “How fun does this look?”  “I know I shouldn’t laugh, but this is HILARIOUS!”  Most versions used music that lent the footage a comical tone.  The nightmare of the cruisers is the amusement of the masses.

I don’t know whether or not Demand’s intent was to highlight our society’s rampant lack of empathy, but when I look at “Pacific Sun” now, that is the message that I get.  Taking the gritty surveillance video and polishing it; removing humanity and making inanimate objects the main characters; overall making it a pleasure to watch others’ terror, resonates with me as a direct comment on the detachment that human beings now feel from each other.  The fact that something so simple on the surface can provoke thoughts so moving and complex convinces me that “Pacific Sun” is not only worthy of getting seen in museums, but that it is important for society that it does.

14 November Permalink

Moberg celebrates 10 years with large group show

Moberg Gallery 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition

October 12 - November, 24 2012

Installation shot of the anniversary show. 

Review by Alissa

October 23, 2012

Woe unto you if you needed a parking space along Ingersoll this past First Friday.  There wasn’t one to be had, and if you followed the swarm of people, you found that it led you right to Moberg Gallery, where Des Moines’ self-proclaimed “Corporate Art/Public Art/Residential Art” mecca was celebrating ten years of operation.  The event was a festive one, with artists and patrons alike enjoying the ubiquitous free wine and flowing conversation.  To say the least, the soirée was a success, but this reviewer always prefers to head back to the gallery the morning after, when all is calm and the art can be approached quietly and considered thoughtfully. 

As usual, Moberg puts on a visually pleasing exhibit, with a myriad of large-scale pieces dominating the gallery.  On this particular occasion, around 45 artists represented by Moberg have contributed to the show.  There will be some who grumble that they do not find this collection is shocking or thought-provoking.  However, there is something to be said for a gallery that has been open, family run, and commercially viable for a decade.  And let’s be honest, for as many people as there are who are looking for risk-taking work, there are just as many who are seeking something they find beautiful and well-created to hang above the mantle or in the lobby.

TJ Moberg’s “Double Fault”

So while there may be few true surprises, the show is nicely curated, with some fun interplay between pieces and styles — my favorite being Frank Hansen’s “Pink Foot Lay Down with Boob” juxtaposed against a more subtle nude by Catherine Dreiss. The gallery has found an organic way to display the divergent styles of the artists included, and the viewing experience flows well.

John Phillip Davis’s “Come to My Lonely”

Among the more memorable pieces shown are “Double Fault” by TJ Moberg, a large bullseye composed of tennis balls; the mixed media piece “Garden in the Sky” by John Siblik; the enormous “Come to My Lonely” by John Phillip Davis; and the tiny graphite-on-paper jewel, “Moon and Trees #1” by Bill Teeple.

The show, up through Saturday, November 24, is worth a walk-through at the Ingersoll gallery.  Moberg plans to open a Chicago location on December 1, 2012 at 2707 W. Lawrence in Lincoln Square.

24 October 1 Permalink

Des Moines Gets RAW

If you’ve been paying attention to the cultural scene in Des Moines at all lately, you’ve been hearing the word “RAW” being tossed around.  Some have been awaiting the event with bated breath- RAW:natural born artists is an international organization that has chosen little ol’ us for its next showcase series.  RAW describes itself as “an independent arts organization, for artists, by artists” whose mission is “to provide independent artists within the first 10 years of their career with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity.” (www.rawartists.org) That sounds fantastic, but there has also been a darker buzz about town.  Some in our community are a bit more disgruntled, grumbling that an outside entity is “milking” our local artists – a worry based on the fact that participating artists are required to sell $200 worth of tickets in order to participate without getting a cut of the profit.  Regardless of your viewpoint, the first event happened Saturday, July 21st at Wooly’s.  It was one fantastic party to be sure – resembling a boozy, noisy ten-ring circus.  Whether or not it was an effective promotion of our local talent remains to be seen.

Ryan Siedel at RAW Mixology

The visual artists involved – while quite talented – faced some logistical challenges.  If you’ve ever been inside Wooly’s, you know that there is virtually no usable wall space.  In addition to the burden of ticket sales, these artists had to engineer their own display rigs.  Michelle Holley did this most gracefully, creating a large-scale painting on wood on which to display her high spirited, reasonably priced pieces.  Having run Instinct Gallery for years, this was not Holley’s first time at the rodeo, and it showed.  Her display was well situated, well marked, and well received.  Other artists did a fine job of displaying their work, though next time more will surely mark their prices more clearly, as the noise level in the venue made verbal transactions nearly impossible.  The addition of live painting was a fun touch to the event, and the intricate ink work of Brent Westphal was a remarkable find.

Jen Kees at RAW Mixology

Overall, however, the performance artists were best suited for this particular event.  Body by Svec’s Painted Ladies – with body paint by Emily Svec, makeup by Lindsey Ritland, and hair by Brianne Cummins – all but stole the show as they pranced, danced, and posed with feline sensuality.  Of the few musical acts that performed, Hath No Fury gave a rousing performance that got the crowd up and on its feet, and the solo pole dance performance by Jen Kees demonstrated an athleticism and fierce grace that whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

Elena Flores’s fashion at RAW Mixology

As an audience member, the spectacle overall was nearly worth the $10 ticket price.  A few improvements need to be made, and this reviewer is likely to return for the August RAW Showcase.  First, since Wooly’s is already booked for the event and a complete change of venue is not possible, hopefully measures will be taken to make the crowd flow better and the noise level less deafening so that both audience and artists can actually have a pleasant, interactive experience with one another.  Second, there simply must be a better setup for the fashion portion of the show.  Elena Flores showed her inventive La Bella Figura line, but very little of the audience was able to see it because the “catwalk” was at ground rather than stage level.  Finally, and by far most importantly, RAW needs to do a better job of communicating to the public how this event benefits the participating artists.  In Des Moines, we are very protective of our growing cultural community, and any whiff of exploitation or merely a good, old fashioned, “taking for granted” of our treasured artists does not sit well. 

Hiccups aside, this concept certainly seems to have potential.  The next RAW showcase is on Thursday, August 23, at Wooly’s.  I recommend you check it out at least once, and if you know a participating artist, help out and select his or her name when you buy your ticket.

6 August Permalink

Who’s who in the New Artists Show at Moberg

New Artists Show, Moberg Gallery

July 13 - August 18, 2012

Bart Vargas

Review by Alissa

June 18, 2012

Group shows are tricky.  Some tie one artist to another in a delightfully organic and seemingly effortless manner, as in the Phoenix Art Muesum’s marvelous Haring/Warhol/Disney exhibit of 1992.  Others, however, struggle so much to provide a common thread that the viewing experience is strained with the effort to understand the connection.  As such, it is rather refreshing to walk into the Moberg Gallery’s New Artists Exhibit and find that the only tie among the work shown is stated directly in the title:  Simply, these are artists who have never before shown at Moberg.  This may seem overly obvious or too simplistic, but in this case the work truly speaks for itself. 

Upon entering, the viewer is treated to a wall of dotted, paint splotted squares cleverly installed from floor to ceiling.  This is the work of Bart Vargas, whose 100-piece installation gives a lovely feeling of energy as it rounds the corner of the gallery.  Vargas has shown internationally, and his work was featured in “New American Paintings No. 89, Midwest Edition” for good reason.

Across the space is the quieter, more contemplative work of Gary Kelley.  Kelley’s paintings, done in peaceful, melancholy tones, feature famous, deceased Iowans.  Not only pleasing to the eye, these works give a history lesson as well, and show Kelley’s admiration for his home state.

Gary Kelley (top), Charlotte Cain (bottom)

Next, the viewer encounters delicate little blocks of intricate, rich color.  This is the work of Charlotte Cain, whose time studying with master miniaturist painters in India is evident.  The pieces have an ancient yet timeless quality and a spiritual aura about them that draws a viewer in close to examine every minute detail. 

The sculpture of Michael Cain, husband of Charlotte and current artist in residence at the Maharishi Institute of Management in Fairfield, IA, is around the next corner.  His petite pieces, some mounted, some freestanding, exhibit an interesting play between shape and texture. 

Michael Cain (top), David Rose ( bottom)

Finally, and as different as the rest, is the work of David Rose:  Large, glossy, abstract photography that is completely arresting.  It is difficult to imagine that something as impersonal sounding as digital photography on polished aluminum could be so engaging, but that it is.  Rose’s imagery has a deep, layered character that lends mystery to each panel.

In all, the exhibit is a pleasing mélange of styles, subjects, and media.  The journey through is an eclectic one, but highly worthwhile.

The New Artists Exhibit will be showing at Moberg Gallery through August 18.  Visit moberggallery.com for hours and contact information.

18 July 1 Permalink

Body of Work: A Conversation With Emily Svec

Body by Svec, 80/35

July 6-7, 2012

Painted Ladies and Gents of Body by Svec working the crowd on stage

Interview by Alissa

July 5th, 2012

When I returned to the Des Moines area after 14 years away in Chicago and San Francisco, something had changed: the city had taken on a cosmopolitan character that it had not previously possessed.  Entrepreneurialism was prevalent, fine cuisine was available in abundance, and live music could be enjoyed multiple nights of the week.  It was at a gallery opening that I learned that my hometown now had its own body painter, Emily Svec, and knew that the art scene was also coming into its own. 

The metro area has enjoyed numerous events featuring the Painted Ladies and Gents of Body by Svec.  Last week I sat down with the talent behind the paint to chat about her passion and and her philosophy about beauty and the human form.

Alissa Sheldon: Body painting is such an unusual career to have.  How did you get started on this path?

Emily Svec: I come from a very artistic family.  My parents had this body paint book by Veruschka, who was a very well known model in the seventies, and I remember when I was about seven or eight, we talked a lot about yes, she was naked, but her body is a work of art.  A light went on, and from that point on, I was always the little girl who would decorate her arms with gel pens. I also drew a lot - usually female figures like mermaids and fairies.  My life has been an ongoing doodle.

My parents were very supportive of my art and gave me lots of training and classes.  So when I went to college, I decided rather than study art, I would study communications.  I felt like I knew how to create art, I needed to learn how to sell it. 

I was always the artsy person in the dorm.  I had tons of projects all over my walls and would paint my friends’ jeans for them.  One night we were snowed in,  and I was supposed to paint this girl’s pants, but instead I wound up painting her stomach: a flower with her hand blending into the design.  Other girls started wandering in, and I painted them.  We posted photos on MySpace which was all the rage at the time, and it blew up.  I started getting contacted for shows.

The Inkblot Series, Photo by Robin Svec Photography. Hair by Amber Hathaway. Make-up by Lindsey Ritland. Model: Rachel Glaza. Art Director: Emily Svec

AS: So, Des Moines was ready for a body painter?

ES: Well, what’s cool about Des Moines is that I don’t think Des Moines knew it needed a body painter until I started doing it.  So I’ve found all of these different avenues that body painting can take: maybe you want to get painted for your birthday.  If you’re a band in town and want to get people talking, if you put painted ladies and gents on your stage, you’re going to get people talking. 

There is still a very small market for it here.  What market there is, I’ve had to create.  I’ve tried to integrate this body art, this appreciation for the human figure, into such things as a brew fest.  I love doing it.  The outcome for me is so rewarding, it’s worth the challenge of trying to find a place for it.

AS: So, of all these outlets for your work - photography, live art, concerts, film, dance - which is your favorite?

ES: I love working a big event where we’re treated well, but I also love photography.  The thrill and the adrenaline rush of doing something like 80/35, where you have six models and a limited amount of time to get them ready and out there, but you’re treated so well - they find you a space, put you in the VIP section - is fantastic.  Being shown that kind of respect for my art form is really important to me.  On the other hand, with a photo shoot I can take my own sweet time.  We can hang out, there is no set allotted time, and people are really willing to go the extra mile to be a part of the art piece.  I love the energy that comes from collaboration with other artists that is possible with a photography shoot.

AS: What’s involved in preparing for an event like 80/35?

ES: It started over two months ago, with trying to line up the models.  Since it’s an annual event, I try to stagger my models who have done it before so it is a different mix each year.  It can take weeks to put the roster together.  Next I line up my assistants, crew, and body guards. I have six models to paint each day, so I really need the extra help.  Then we start brainstorming and conceptualizing, bouncing things off my hair stylist and my makeup artist.  Finally we get into the logistics: do we have water bottles and umbrellas for the models?  Where will we work?  At whose sets will we appear?

AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?  Whom do you draw on for inspiration?

ES: Joanne Gair is a makeup artist/body painter whose stuff is totally wild and fantastic.  She’s collaborated with Pamela Andersen, Demi Moore, Madonna, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, and more.  I love Brian Froud’s art.  His fairies and gnomes are beautiful.  Locally, I am a big fan of BONES (Matt Welbourne), who has a show starting at The Eye next week.  His work is so detailed and clever.  It’s very intricate.

AS:You’ve had problems more than once with being censored by Facebook.  Why do you think people have that reaction to your art?

ES: I feel that these are the same people who resist change, even if it’s for the better.  They see something like my art, and they view it as improper.  They don’t view it as an art form, they view it as obscene.

My models are totally comfortable in themselves - any part of them that they aren’t comfortable with, when they get painted and made up, with their hair done, all of a sudden they recognize themselves as the pieces of art that they are.  I watch them transform. They become very elegant.

I don’t know how the people who report my photos view their own bodies, but I assume it is not in a positive light, and certainly not as an art form.  I’ve been fighting for a very long time to try to reach out to those people, and I think that some people are just set in their beliefs.  So I’ve kind of given up - I’m not disregarding them, I review my projects very sensitively before making them public - but I don’t put a lot of time into trying to change their minds  anymore.  There are a lot of people who love and appreciate my art. I’d like to focus my energy on them.

AS: What sorts of private commission projects have you been doing recently?

ES: Something I’m really excited about lately, I’m doing belly painting of pregnant women.  I don’t plan on having my own children, so I feel this is my chance to lend something to this huge job of motherhood.  I’ve never done the same thing twice - it’s very personalized.  Sometimes the babies will move, and it is so beautiful.  The paint we use is paraben free, organic, and hand painted so there’s no chance of inhaling anything.  I’m a big believer in the idea that when a baby is in the womb, everything that the mother does affects the baby - whether it’s what she ingests, or what she listens too, or how she feels.  And if she happens to feel beautiful and unique, then I think that can only be good.

Commissioned belly painting by Body by Svec

AS: What are your hopes for the future of Body by Svec?

ES: A lot of people in my family are entrepreneurs.  It very much runs in our blood.   It’s a difficult economy in which to make a living and live well with an independent business right now, but my ultimate hope is to travel, take the business on the road so that Body by Svec is known in other cities by name, and sustain myself with this business that I love.  It’s a lofty goal, but with the amazing assistants, models, and collaborating artists I work with everyday, I think it can happen.

Visit the website for Body by Svec for more information about Emily Svec’s work. Follow her work on Facebook.

5 July 2 Permalink

Capturing the unusual Royal Shrovetide Football Match

Rules of the Game, Interrobang Film Festival

June 22-24, 2012

Rules of the Game - Official Trailer from Shift Key Films on Vimeo.

29 June Permalink

Interview with Jordan Weber

Young Bloods: The First Anniversary Show, Fluxx Gallery

June 2012

Young Bloods group show currently on view at Fluxx.

Interview by Alissa

June 13, 2012

Well, Des Moines, Fluxx Gallery, best known for its innovative, activist art shows, recently blew out the candle on its first birthday cake.  Ambitious young owner and artist Jordan Weber found a few minutes in his busy schedule of curating and creating to chat about the current show, “Young Bloods”, as well as what his vision is for year number two.

AS: Why did you decide to do a group showcase for this milestone?

JW: This show is like a big party.  It was spur of the moment.  We knew there were a lot of people who wanted to show again, and this was a way for us to open the doors up and not go through the whole portfolio process.  It’s more laid back.  It is a showcase of what we’ve had already as well as what’s to come.

Jordan Weber in Young Bloods

AS:  You have a couple of pieces of your own in the show.  What can you tell me about them?

JW:  They are work for a few shows I have coming up in Denver and Peoria, IL, that focus on this idea of spirituality being taken over by the capitalist and conformist ideology that we live in, with spirituality taking a back seat to everything.  I’ve always done work that is against capitalism and consumer culture, but now I’m delving deeper into the reasons why we think that way.

Michael Watson, 5:AM, Jon Pearson, Ben Gardner & Emily Newman in Young Bloods

AS: How does this collection of pieces represent Fluxx - both where it’s been and where it’s going?

JW: I think it’s a view of the past and the future for Fluxx.  Initially we wanted all activist shows.  We found quickly that there are probably only three or four strong activist artists working in Des Moines right now, so we had to do some shows that weren’t really backing up our mission statement.  In the future we will book more activist shows.

Secondly, we try to get artists in here who aren’t as worried about making money off the work as they are about getting their ideology across.  We really want to be somewhere in between a gallery and a museum. 

AS: Why Des Moines?

JW: I grew up here, and my mom studied art at Drake.  I don’t believe there’s ever been a truly contemporary museum here.  The Art Center does stuff,  but there is nowhere for everyday people to come in and feel welcome and get some sort of philosophical view on art.  Normally, if it’s too deep for people, they have a tendency to be turned off.  We felt it was important to melt everything together: to do important work that people can relate to, that they can eat up, and not feel unwelcome when they walk through the doors, or pressured that they have to buy something.

I came back to Des Moines after spending time in Europe and all around the U.S., really immersing myself in the street art scene.  I think it’s extremely important for people from Des Moines to try to grow the scene in some way, and I think it’s extremely frustrating when you have people from outside the city and from the smaller towns around that don’t really know Des Moines that well.  It’s important for us to take responsibility and take the art scene into our own hands.  It’s up to us.

AS:  I don’t think many people realize that you actually live here in the gallery. What’s it like having the public just be able to walk into your home?

It took some getting used to, but the energy of people is great.  We’ve had only a few people walk in and not want you to talk to them, but the majority of people in Des Moines are pretty friendly, so when people walk in and you approach them in a friendly way, they respond. It’s fun to get to talk to people in such a random way.

Edward Kelley in Young Bloods

AS: What is in store for the second year of Fluxx Gallery?

JW: We want to continue to be a place that artists from all over the world want to show at, to be one notch on their belt, a strong gallery they can present to other places to get into larger and larger galleries and museums.

I also want some expansion.  I like the idea of shipping crate containers being dispersed throughout Des Moines, with open studio space available to be rented out and the artists can present a show at the end of their residency.  Either that or some sort of huge space we could offer residencies or some sort of space that artists could really sink into as studio space.  That’s the goal right now: Expansion of the scene.

Fluxx Gallery is located at 333 East Grand, #104, in Des Moines. 

Phone: 515-864-8216. Web: www.fluxxgallery.com.

13 June Permalink

Lee Ann Conlan: Sou.ve.nir

Sou.ve.nir, Thee EYE

June 2012

Review by Alissa

June 5, 2012

Lee Ann Conlan’s latest show, “Souvenir”, opened at Thee EYE on Friday, June 1.  A sardine-packed crowd of art lovers and well wishers turned out to get a glimpse of Conlan’s new work - intensely intimate pieces which expose the painful, powerful, and cathartic moments of the artist’s life to public scrutiny. 

Some ominous, some heart wrenching, many inspiring, Conlan’s new collection - the very definition of “remarkable” - aptly demonstrates the old adage, “Hindsight is 20/20”.  The pieces tell a tale of the losses, lessons, catharses, and ultimately the survival of a brave, reflective female.  I had the privilege of spending some time with the artist, who took the opportunity to share the origins of a selected few of her “Souvenirs”.

The Red Flags

These are letters I’ve kept from a relationship.  I’ve sewn them all together, and I call them “Red Flags” because maybe if I’d paid better attention to them, I would’ve done things differently, but they went ignored.  Sewn in among them are my medical records - different things that happened that had to do with the story of the letters. For instance, there was a car wreck that took over five hundred days of healing, including recovery from a skull fracture, and then a back surgery. 

I love the texture of the notes.  This guy was crazy - he would write on anything and everything, so there is great texture to the piece.  I took them and sewed them together on a sewing machine. It ended up being over eighty feet of souvenirs, and it worked to transform the dramatic vertical space of this gallery.

Souvenirs

I had a relationship end and I tend to just purge art when that happens, so this body of work started in mid November, and by January 1, I was having this book printed.  There are 70 pages to the book of these digital collages, so there are more than are shown on the gallery walls.  It tells a story: you get hurt, you feel sorrow, that turns to anger, and then you go into humor and have to laugh.  It speaks to how when someone is so ugly on the inside, it is comical to me that the outside can be so important.  All of the words are copied and pasted from emails or texts.

Containment

This is a self portrait with a quote.  I have terrible social anxiety, and there is a song with the lyrics, “Just want to stop and catch my breath, spend one second on this earth not scared to death.” I took different lyrics of the song, printed them on newsprint with each phrase being a headline.  I wanted this to illustrate that feeling of being scared and how paralyzing that anxiety can be, so I took the lyrics and wrapped them around the vase so you could really get that feeling of being contained. The only time I can get rid of it is at a show, because I know people come to support, so they’re here for good reasons, and I can calm myself that way.  I get through the night and then go back in my shell.

Sou.ve.nir is currently showing through the month of June at Thee EYE, 333 E Grand Avenue, Unit 108. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, Noon-5 and Saturday, 11-5.  Appointments may be arranged outside of normal business hours by calling 515-864-9832.  Website: www.theeyeopens.com.

5 June Permalink