What’s in a word?

Bart Vargas, Moberg Gallery

May 24th - July 6th

Installation of work by Bart Vargas

Review by Rachel Buse

May 28, 2013

Words. They mean things. We got a dictionary to remind us of those meanings. We also learn meanings from hearing a word in context, attached to a string of others. Depending on how many times we see them printed, written or hear ‘em spoken, their meaning and impact evolves. What’s your favorite word right now? What’s the worst word you can think of?

A year ago, Bart Vargas started painting patterns of dots into shapes we recognize as capitalized letters. The first letters built the words BIG TIME. This piece was on view at Moberg’s 10^th Anniversary show.  After a general positive response, he decided to continue with these paintings. Some of his words are sourced from asking friends for a “word of the day”. From the pool of suggestions, he’ll select which of them should be painted. 

Vargas’s MAYBE FOREVER

MAYBE FOREVER was a request from someone wanting a word painting in honor of getting hitched. When Vargas asked them for which he should paint, they suggested “maybe forever.” And this is what was painted. Vargas said he liked it cause the phrase sounds both “doubtful yet hopeful”. The bride did not find it so charming. The miscommunication in this exchange can be challenged in each word painting. Every word having the opportunity to be interpreted differently, for better or worse. 

Installation of work by Bart Vargas

Vargas’s paint is thick. It’s rubbery. Or like modeling clay. Each and every dot has a bit of body. Vargas got both his BFA and MFA in sculpture, which explains his beefy surface and the physicality of each word. I forgot to ask about his process as we were busy wrestling with the significance of words. The choices he offers in scale and color allows you to be choosy in selecting which word’s meaning associates the most with you.  Which fuck is your favorite? The gold and red one?  Do you wanna small one, a big one, or a repeat fuck? 

Also on view at Moberg, Travis Rices’s three multi-colored shredded paper towers. Walk through this mini forest to the back left to find the word installation.

Travis Rice’s “ACCUMULATION”

28 May 5 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

Playing with paint skins

Skins, Moberg Gallery

August 31 - October 6, 2012

Detail of dried paint collage

Review by Jon & Rachel

September 7, 2012

It’s no secret that artist T.J. Moberg tends to create works of art that are meant for public spaces, corporate settings or to hang in people’s homes. And it would be tough to knock him for knowing the kind of audience he courts. “Skins” finds Moberg creating collages out of dried portions of paint by assembling them on a pane of plexiglass. A thick glassy layer of epoxy is poured on top, allowing loose bits of paint to shift and become frozen in mid-movement. Shadowy undercuts created from curled up edges and suspended flakes add a bit more depth to each surface.

Moberg approached his process differently for each composition, varying both the types of paint used and the source materials. In one instance, dried scraps from artist Chris Vance’s studio became a color collage. In another piece entitled “control issues,” a television and remote controls were used to emboss the dried paint.

Jon investigates TJ Moberg’s Miami Skinmachine

Strong color theory predominates, and it almost seems that Moberg consulted a swatch book in the paint aisle at Home Depot to attain colors that could satisfy potential buyers. The work is simply read, and looks like it wants to be used as decoration. An interior designer might pick one of them to hang out in a psychologist’s office if not for all the fragmentation.

Light Snack, TJ Moberg

For the most part, the show lacks direct representation although there are a couple of deviations from abstraction in the guise of flower forms, and an (intentionally?) tacky, thunder-bird-shaped paint skin.

The work seems to be the result of an artist following the consumer as muse rather than expressing a definitive purpose of exploration or concept. Never the less, the process seems fun and sounds fun from the account in the Des Moines Register about how the show came together between rounds of golf.

TJ Moberg’s work will be on display through Saturday Oct. 6, 2012, and you can visit www.moberggallery.com for more information.

7 September 2 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

Growing Up Hansen

Frank Hansen, Moberg Gallery

May 18 - July 7 2012 

Review by Alissa

May 21, 2012

All right, we might as well acknowledge it: There is an elephant in the room.

If you are of a certain age and grew up in Des Moines, you probably gasped in recognition of this iconic giant.  Once upon a time, you may have slid down its trunk on the back pockets of your polyester pants, while your mom shopped in child-free peace at Richman Gordman.  The image sends you on a sweet wave of nostalgia, and just as you are beginning to pine for the good old days, you read the words “Zooland, bitches”.  Look closer and you’ll see the words “RICHMAN POOR MAN” etched backwards into one of the many layers of the piece, and if you focus on the border words, you will read, “It’s like being kicked in the face with a really cute shoe.” And there, in this reviewer’s opinion, you have the essence of Frank Hansen’s latest exhibit at Moberg Gallery.

Titled “Growing Up Hansen”, this exhibit contains many excellent examples of this artist’s ability to lure viewers into a compelling image and then kick them in the face, so to speak, with a direct, heartfelt message, sometimes made even more powerful by its direct contradiction to the image it accompanies.  Hansen calls his style “Emotionalism”, which, to paraphrase Moberg Gallery, means the expression of any subject or image that inspires passion in the artist.  In this particular exhibit, the interplay between “childhood memories, world topics, inside jokes, and absurd imagery” (Moberg) creates a fascinating discord in the brain.  As viewers dig deeper into the irresistibly endless layers of paint and meaning that Hansen offers on each piece, they are often challenged, sometimes disconcerted, but always “kicked in the face”.

Hansen’s most visible work to date, his public mural “Reunited, With Bees”, which stirred a fervor of fascination and controversy in the East Village last summer, was a fine prelude to the spirit of this show.  (The mural is humorously referenced in a mixed media sculpture of a city entitled, “Shield Your Eyes From The Awkwardness”.) The artist’s signature ability to put an intelligent, sometimes dark, edge on whimsy is evident in paintings such as “Don’t Touch The Elf Or He’ll Lose His Magic” and in the showstopper “Sleepytime Rig”, a complex mixed media piece that includes a functioning toy race track.

For those wanting to learn more about the Frank Hansen’s process and philosophy, the artist will give an art talk at Moberg Galleries on June 9. In the meantime, the show is open to the public during Moberg’s regular business hours, Tuesday-Friday 10-5, Saturday 10-4, or by appointment.  Moberg Gallery is located at 2921 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines and can be contacted by phone at 515-279-9191 or email at info@moberggallery.com.  Web address is www.moberggallery.com

21 May Permalink

Sink your teeth into “Monkey Brains” at Moberg

Chris Vance’s Polar Opposites, Moberg Gallery 

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Review by Jon

March 30, 2012

The Surface//The Spatial-

Chris Vance’s latest work is on display at Moberg Gallery on Ingersoll in Des Moines. Upon entering the show I was struck by the consistency. The vibrancy and potency of the colors he uses has not lessened. His show still delivers the instant sick-gut punch to me as a fellow artist. I can’t say that I am jealous, but his work does inspire in me the desire to learn how to “finish” paintings. He has an inspired way with surface. Pinning blurry glazes, shape and line under much crisper glazes shapes and lines. Despite all this layering, the surface still shouts its flatness. The spatial starts to suggest its self but is then firmly denied by the way marks draw me back to the surface. I like an artist that can make a fellow surface devotee step to within inches, and then back. There were four pieces on mylar that felt like a new direction for Vance.  They exhibited more depth and they felt less self conscious than the other work in the show. It’s amazing what a new batch of materials can do for an artist!

 The Cluster//The Style-

There is a section of the show that is entirely composed by a cluster of his “character work.” These clusters are nicely handled and some works are actually framed rather than put on his signature deep-dish art boards. This is an interesting way to hang work because it becomes about the mass presented rather than about each individual piece standing alone. It’s also a chance for some weaker pieces (or pieces of lesser size or expense) to exist near blockbusters. Much of the work on the west wall of the gallery is brimming with fanciful faces on distorted cartoon bodies. The whimsical nature of the work is underscored by a style and technique that bring the pieces to life.

Chris Vance has style for miles and miles. His style has reached its smooth apex with his abstract work, which for the most part is constrained to the east wall of the gallery. His line work, blending, shading, and color overlay all come together with a slick mix and match of technique. The stylistic epitome of his work comes to the fore with the piece entitled “monkey brains.” This work is the proverbial centerpiece to the entire show and it employs a confidence in mark making and a marriage of the representational and the abstract. I feel it displays a strong advancement in Vance’s work. Overall the show may prove to be a culmination of Vance’s stylistic progression over the last five or six years. 

Exhibit runs through May 12^th at Moberg Gallery , 2921 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines Iowa 50312.

30 March Permalink