Grand View Universities’ Faculty Free-For-All

Faculty Show 2012, Grand View’s Rasmussen Center, The Prairie Meadows Gallery 

November 19 2012 - January 11, 2013

Detail of Josh Ryther’s “Private Eyes.” Photo Rachel Buse.

Review by Jon

January 8, 2013

The current exhibition at the Rasmussen Center on Grand View’s campus is a scattered mix of current work by the Grand View faculty. Many major Universities host an art faculty show on a yearly basis as a way of promoting the program and the “research” being done by their teachers. By definition, these shows tend to display an array of work that run the gamut of media, from metal smithing to interactive design. Grand View touts a very strong Art and Design program for its relatively small size and much of its success can be seen in the strong work exhibited by graduates who have come out of the program. Recent Exhibition successes by past students such as Jeremiah Elbel and Jolynn Reigeluth have served to strengthen the art scene in Des Moines and beyond.

Detail from Aaron Tinder’s, “I have no memory of learning any of these things.” Photo Jon Pearson.

In this work by drawing and painting professor Aaron Tinder we see a tight, grid-based painting with a simulacrum of varying perspectives. The color theory in this piece is strong and balanced, and the tied ropes and ribbons serve to lead the eye through the composition and bring some excitement to an otherwise meticulous, structured work. The use of shadow cast by the ropes and ribbons allude to a depth of field which is only implied by the lines and shapes of the rest of the piece. 

Detail from Mary Jones’, “Discomfiture.” Photo Jon Pearson.

Bendy legs and giant-like stature, along with uncomfortably crossed arms and a garish grin lend an air of discomfort to the main character of this collage by Mary Jones. The subject matter, as far as I can ascertain, has something to do with dislocation or relocation from an urban setting to more suburban or rural environs. The figure is flanked by two smaller figures, potentially children. The space inhabited by blue text seems to contain some jargon pertaining to the sale or purchase of a home, but is left relatively vague, as many of the lines are cut of in mid-sentence. Many of the structures in the foreground seem to resemble more urban dwellings, while the structures deeper in the background look like single stand-alone houses. The addition of disembodied heads with hats may resemble the bureaucratic intricacies of relocation. Overall, the piece is balanced in composition and color and has much detail to keep the eyes and mind engaged. Jones’ other work in the show is also very strong and rewards a long look (read what they say).

Detail from Larrison Seidle’s “Untitled (from the new ether series)” Photo Jon Pearson.

This image from Larrison Seidle’s “New Ether,” series seems to depict a dream scape in which two figures are walking across a vast expanse. The viewer’s eye is brought into the landscape by winding path-like color trails. The piece suggests a departure, or a flight, both because the figures seem to be moving away from building structures in the lower right corner, and because one of the figures seems to be carrying baggage. The piece in its use of color and space is very inviting, and the small size (I would guess about 6”by 6”) availed a sense of intimacy between viewer and subject.

Installation view of Josh Ryther’s “Private Eyes.” Photo Jon Pearson.

“Private Eyes” is one of the more striking pieces in the show. The piece commands a portion of floorspace and is composed of the same image of a face crumpled and formed into mask-like forms. I was impressed by the piece’s activation of an otherwise “dead” area of floor and its ability to heighten the experience of viewing the work on the walls. The images of the face are all directed outwards so that any angle you are viewing the piece from results in confrontation. The work evokes consensus and the togetherness, or sameness in the gaze of the multiplied face.

There are many more strong works in the show, and the gallery is hung with deliberation and skill making it a very clean show. The work by graphic design professor James Ewald employs the clear grid-based “Swiss-Style” to stunning effect in his poster design, while Jon Schwestka produced images of kinetic ambiguity. There is a giant, tiered wedding cake with rotating dolls at the base of it, and beautiful images of a “Herd of Brides,” created by Rachel Schwaller.

Detail of the bottom of the giant cake. Created by Rachel Schwaller. Video by Rachel Buse.

All-in-all, the show exhibits the strength of talent amongst the professorship at one of Des Moines’ best art schools, and leads me to believe that more talented and well trained students will continue to emerge from Grand View’s art program.

8 January Permalink

Summer show at Grand View demands to be seen

Artifact: That Which Remains, Rasmussen Center Gallery (Grand View)

May 11th - August 3rd 2012

Mimi Solum, Fran, Earl (wire, paper mache, plaster & paint), Louise (wire, paper mache, popcorn & paint)

Review by Rachel

July 5, 2012

Two cohesive multi-media explorations by two recent Grand View graduates are on view at the Rasmussen Center Gallery. They both examine how objects come to represent the passage of time by offering proof of what has been. Each approach reaches inside their collection of objects and constructs new associations within the context of their show. 

Mimi Solum

Installation shot of the work by Mimi Solum

Upon entering the gallery, you are greeted by three massive creatures with pouting gazes which act as oversized guardians of the space. They are blown up versions of ceramic animal planters and figurines used throughout Mimi Solum’s investigation. By first encountering their large-scale, squirmy cuteness, you find your own scale altered and you shrink into the arrangements of the small collectables to follow.

Watercolors, collaged drawings and embroidered versions of Solum’s collectables continue to distort scale. Why is Solum drawn to these kitschy keepsakes? She stacks collectable colorful tins in a box built of barn wood. The box is hung at eye level for you to easily compare their individual shapes and patterns. Each was designed to be a beautiful object beyond its original container function. Inside is a special and sacred space. 

“Ninety Passages”, ninety teacups hang in a grid. This is a portrait of Solum’s grandmother through her grandmother’s collection. 

What is Solum’s affinity to these specific objects? Why collect these objects? What do our collections represent about us? What is the function of a collection of objects after they have been collected? Solum described an identification with the ceramic animals. She saw her self as the animal and mentioned a search for home as she is currently in a nomadic situation without geographical home base. Her collection has no home, yet these are the type of things kept that would anchor someone to a home base.

Mimi Solum’s “Refuge”, ceramic planters

Jolynn Reigeluth “Stranger in a strange Land”

Surveillance taps from Stranger in a Strange Land

Enter into what feels like a domestic dwelling. Curtains over the windows darken the room. You’ve slipped into a private space, an office setting where someone has been collecting data, photographs, sketches and surveillance tapes. Familiar tools hang on the wall, but they’ve been oddly changed. Their function can’t quite be understood. This place feels authentic, but it’s a stage. From corner to corner, the connections between the collection of evidence build into a narrative of this other world Reigeluth has been trying to catch herself traveling to.

Installation shots from Jolynn Reigeluth’’s “Stranger in a Strange Land”

It’s junky, lots of beautiful junk accumulated for a great investigation. It’s convincing too.  All the way down to the boots with freshly dropped dirt placed next to the desk, lamp and map.  Reigeluth told me she knew it would be convincing when she almost completely believed in this other world herself. She is inviting you to explore what she’s discovered about this other place and the types of creatures that reside there.

The work in Artifact is beautiful, exciting and well thought out. I wouldn’t miss this show. It’s up for one more month so take advantage before they dismantle the installations. 

I also recommend watching their promotional videos on their event page. Further information about the show can be found here. Gallery hours are generous: Monday-Thursday 8-9 and Friday 8-5

5 July Permalink

Jolynn Reigeluth illustrates her Alter Egos at Ephemera

Jolynn Reigeluth’s Alter Egos, Ephemera 

Review by Rachel

April 10, 2012

Last Friday, I was introduced to a donkey who is always celebrating his birthday. Above you see him in his party hat, standing patiently, awaiting final judgment in Purgatory. He is one of many characters in Alter Egos, a series of prints illustrating the invented world of Jolynn Reigeluth. With methodical consistency, she explores who these creatures are by studying their personal belongings like an anthropological researcher.

Through image, I am addressing a wide range of qualities that comprise this world, such as who inhabits it, what vegetation exists there, what the inhabitants make, what kind of tools they utilize, etc. – Jolynn Reigeluth

In Neuter and Spay Your Pets, we see to a big haired lady with no arms rattling on about her daily routine. Reigeluth’s research into this other world manifests into pictorial speech bubbles and residents looking calm and comfortable in their own lumpy skins. Her discoveries have just scratched the surface. Further assimilation into the lifestyles of her Alter Egos will allow her to lean less on cuteness and more on richness in character.

The beautifully screen printed series will be on view for the month of April at Ephemera in the East Village. Reigeluth has a line up of shows listed on her website, Moon Man Print. In May, she will receive her BA in Visual Arts & Graphic Design from Grandview University. 

10 April 3 Permalink