Transparent, or not?

Transparencies, Des Moines Art Center

February 22 — May 22, 2013

Above: Convertible Series, Group 10 | Monir Farmanfarmaian

Review by Chad Michael Cox

The Des Moines Art Center currently displays an exhibit entitled Transparencies. My wife had mentioned her interest in viewing this exhibit a month prior to the opening, so the Cox family eagerly entered the solemn gallery on a Saturday afternoon. Well, mostly it was my two boys who eagerly run into every building, but I understand my role as their father. It falls to me to rule with a firm hand, so I quickly subdued them with firm sounding words like, “get”, “don’t”, “if I ever”, “that’s enough”, and my favorite, “stop or I’ll tell your mother.”

The irony of this exhibit is in the name itself. Nothing on display can be classified as being transparent. Indeed, there are mirrors, stained-glass creations, and a dark room with a multi-media piece. That is my favorite as it relates to the term: transparent. In the dark room we discovered a series of glass shards that are driven into a large piece of plexi-glass. (Think Color-Brite from the 1980’s.) The shards form the image of a large, crystal chandelier. It should have been the most “transparent” of any of the pieces. Instead, the artist has placed the work in a dark room and uses a projector to add ambience. The projected image creates the illusion of a dust-coated chandelier gently cleansed by droplets of rain seeping through a hole in the roof which eventually gives way, resulting in a more thorough and robust cleansing. It is a moving work of art, but it is not transparent.

I am a huge fan of art exhibits which produce both internal and external dialogue, and I left the Art Center thankful for contemplations. What was the curator attempting to stimulate within the viewer? What was being revealed? I then realized that the transparent object was not the artwork but rather the viewer. Each piece revealed something new about me. The handheld mirrors for example, the first piece on display, with faces from the past still reflected in them, caused me to wonder what image I will leave behind. A reflective mosaic scattered my reflection in a thousand directions. But the black glass, beautifully arranged to resemble large drops of water, reflected nothing. I was forced to gaze upon the darkness within; my soul captured like smoke in a bottle.

Above: Smoke Art in Bottles by Jim Dingilian

21 March Permalink

Into the opening of NEW WORK at Olson Larsen

September 7, 2012 – 6:34PM

27 September 1 Permalink

Talking with collaborators behind the Meth Project

The Meth Project, Des Moines Social Club

June 14 - 24, 2012

Chris Ford, Matthew McIver, Chris Peterson

Interview by Chad

June 18, 2012

I had the opportunity to interview 3 of the 4 writers of CoLab: The Meth Project currently performing through June 24^th at the Des Moines Social Club. The following are selected quotes from these interviews:

Chad Michael Cox: How does this play fit into the DMSC mission to use the arts as a catalyst to create unprecedented community engagement?

Matthew McIver (writer and director):

·      CoLab was formed as a way to tell Iowa stories.

·      These plays are original pieces of theater.

·      Our first play told the story of Evelyn Davis who created Tiny Tots Daycare and touched so many parts of Des Moines.

·      We started thinking about what else impacts multiple areas of Iowa.

·      The Meth Project provides multiple perspectives…a 360 view of the subject

·      The play tells 3 different stories and asks the questions, “What is the context?” and “How do we view drugs as a society?”

·      I think people will emerge from this play thinking differently.

CMC: How did you get involved in this project?

Chris Peterson (writer and video):

·      I’ve done video production for DMSC in the past.

·      The video provides context for the stories in the play.

·      I was drawn to this project because a friend of mine was on Meth…she eventually got away from it.

·      I wrote the druggy scenes based on her experiences.

·      These stories are based on recent issues. They’re informative and real – factual tales with creative license.

CMC: Describe the collaboration process during this project:

Chris Ford (writer and music):

·      We didn’t really know what we were writing at first.

·      I got involved initially as a music director.

·      Wrote environmental music, conceptual in nature. This music is different from my typical style because it’s focused on thematic interpretations.

·      I’m really proud of the result!

MM: We wrote a ton of material that never made the stage.

MM: I think the end result of collaboration is more interesting. It’s also a way to share the work load and keep each other accountable. We all have full-time jobs, so it helps to work together.

CF: We were meeting weekly, but there was also a lot of downtime. We had to push the project back a few times.

CP: At one point I don’t think we did anything from September to February because of one thing or another.

CF: We initially wanted to produce a commercial.

CP: We didn’t restrict ourselves. We spent the first three months just spewing ideas. I wrote this whole scene based on a Marilyn Monroe character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but we eventually threw it out…we discovered we had three story arcs.

MM: Three stories without any forced cross-over of stories. Everything comes together naturally.

CMC: What should people know about this play?

MM: It’s funny, sad, moving, dramatic…

CF: It’s important that people understand what kind of drug Meth is…the Meth issue is still a real issue in Iowa.

MM: It’s not about good guys vs. bad guys. Yes there’s consequences to the decisions each character makes, but we can connect with all of these characters.

CMC: (To Ford and Peterson) As first time playwrights would you do it again?

CP: Yes, I would do it again!

CF: Definitely!

18 June 1 Permalink

Tribute to twenty plus years of “paint anything, on nearly anything”

Shawn Palek, Ankeny Art Center

June 1-July 26, 2012

Shawn’s Jacket

Review by Chad

June 12, 2012

Shawn Palek’s show at the Ankeny Art Center Main Gallery, on display through July 26^th, is a tribute to the artist’s diverse subject matter and exceptional technical proficiency. His family friendly pieces drew a favorable response from every member of my family including my wife and three young children who enjoyed the Spiderman and Dragon pieces, respectively. The show also reveals a promising new direction for the Ankeny Art Center, a venue which has historically preferred safe, conservative exhibits typically featuring watercolors and garden scenes. For too long this venue has remained on the perimeter of the rising art scene in the greater Iowa community, to the point that one of the artists in attendance, a member of Art-A-Holics, a group of complementary local artists on display in the Ankeny Art Center Side Gallery, mentioned it was his first visit to the Art Center. I sincerely hope it will not be his last.

Portraits of Spider-Man, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn now on view at the Ankeny Art Center

The opening reception was well attended. (I was forced to park in the grass.) This should come as no surprise, however. Palek, an Airbrush Instructor at DMACC since 1996, has a resume filled with twenty plus years of magazine publications, art exhibits, and awards. He has demonstrated a propensity for turning his art into a career, willing to “paint anything, on nearly anything” – as proven by the cement truck displaying his work in the parking lot. In addition, he has invested in the community around him through his mentorship of other artists and numerous public art exhibitions, including a large painted sign of Salvador Dali on the lawn of the Ankeny Art Center which he completed in 1 ½ hours the afternoon proceeding the opening. Even on a night tailored to celebrate his work, Palek gave back to those in attendance by offering a miniature (numbered and signed) version of this same Dali painting to every guest in attendance.

Crowd at the opening reception

When I finally found my way through the crowd to congratulate Palek, I also took the opportunity to ask him a few questions. “What do you want me to know about your work?” Palek singled out a shredded Megadeath jean jacket simply labeled Shawn’s Jacket, one of several on display, the others belonging to friends who provided the artist with his first commissioned works. “This is where it all started,” he states as I snap a photo. That isn’t where it ends, though. Palek’s show offers its viewers everything from horror and sci-fi to abstracts and portraits – all of it free of social commentary, so plan to leave your interpretations at the door. This is a straightforward enjoy it for what it is…and just try to paint this well type of show. More impressive than the work, however, is the craftsman behind the airbrush. He is having fun, and we are the beneficiaries! 

12 June 3 Permalink

Four perspectives exploring landscape at the Olson-Larsen Galleries

Annual Landscape Show, Olson-Larsen Galleries

June 1, 2012 - July 14, 2012

Annual Landscape Show installation shot 

Review by guest contributor Chad Michael Cox

June 7, 2012

The Annual Landscape Show at Olson-Larsen Galleries, featuring Barbara Fedeler, Bobbie McKibbin, Stuart Klipper, and Eugenie Torgerson, generally steers clear of the traditional Midwest farm and barn scenes. Instead, the viewer is treated to wide open prairies, defining landmarks (a telephone pole in the middle of a bayou, tank cars stopped in a corn field), and a remarkable sense of movement. In particular, Klipper’s photograph, Colorado River From Point Imperial, North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, with a weaving angle enhanced by the river below, gives the viewer a sense of falling off a cliff – so real, in fact, you may find yourself stepping sideways to regain your balance.

Annual Landscape Show installation shot 

Beyond a simple replication of Midwest landscapes, the Olson-Larsen display provides interpretations of color. Standard browns greet the viewer upon entering, but they are quickly swept away by the green pastels of McKibbin’s works which often place the viewer at the bottom of a hill looking upward without the need to see the other side. We are comfortable exploring the details of Lit Lane I, the weightless shadows, or the elevated tree line that seems to be ascending toward the heavens as though the trees have been freed from their roots. From there the viewer moves into the back portion of the gallery where a series of willow charcoal drawings by Fedeler strips away everything we know about prairie landscapes, leaving only the movement of the hills and the undercurrent of shadows. North of Hubbard Hill offers a swirling maelstrom in the distance, slowly altering the rolling topography, everything we’ve seen and taken for granted as we travel along Iowa highways. Finally, the viewer is introduced to Torgerson’s golden hues and remarkable use of material layering. On the Verge of Everything has eight layers of fascinating and varied texture underneath a subtle expanse of sky and earth. Her rich pastels collide at a lowered horizon, highlighting majestic clouds without sacrificing a solid foundation.

The show, which runs through July 14^th, offers a worthwhile view of our landscapes. It doesn’t ask questions so much as it offers four perspectives, and in so doing it manages to reveal a fresh layer of earth.

Chad Michael Cox is an award winning author whose work has appeared in numerous publications including: Modern Dickens Project, Sleet Magazine, Splash of Red, and Prick of the Spindle. He is also a photographer, storyteller, and curator proudly associated with, and supporting, local arts and culture organizations in Des Moines, Iowa. His work explores universal languages, focusing on stories we share as a global community, finding beauty within the chaos of our world. To learn more about his work please browse his website at www.cmichaelcox.com or contact him via email at CMichaelCox@q.com  

7 June Permalink

Pop portraiture and a new interpretation of an old revolution.

Buffalo Bonker, Cuatro

June 2012

Installation shot at Cuatro

Review by guest contributor Chad Michael Cox

June 4, 2012

The Buffalo Bonker exhibit at Cuatro Burrito and Taco Bar offers a mixture of pop culture portraits (Munsters, Bob Marley) and focused interpretations of traditional pieces from the French Revolution such as Liberty leading the People by Eugene Delacroix and two Jacques Louis David works, Bonaparte Crossing the Great Saint Bernards Pass and Death of Marat. It is an odd pairing indeed to see Herman Munster beside Napoleon Bonaparte, an effect which asks the viewer if the oil paintings of the revolution are equal to the pop icons of today. Certainly these pieces have become commonplace, but Bonker zooms in on each piece, forcing the viewer to see the revolution anew. Bonker’s depiction of Lady Liberty leaves her headless, focusing on the men at her feet, the pistol blazing boy to her left. He has stripped away the vaunted ideals of the rebel, leaving only the dead, the begging, and the young who are about to die. It is a vibrant work, and represents a departure from Bonker’s more familiar pop portraiture. One can feel the artist approaching a breakthrough as he searches for a new interpretation of an old revolution.

Installation shot at Cuatro

More than just imitation, these paintings explore deeper issues of legacy and revisionist history. Do we remember Marat for who he was or what he has now become: a work of art? Do we embrace Bob Marley the man or do we identify ourselves with what he represents: unity. Are we comfortable resting on the surface of pop culture, or should we dive deeper into the meaning of it all?

Perhaps in response to these questions, Bonker has displayed his work without identification or sale price.

Chad Michael Cox is an award winning author whose work has appeared in numerous publications including: Modern Dickens Project, Sleet Magazine, Splash of Red, and Prick of the Spindle. He is also a photographer, storyteller, and curator proudly associated with, and supporting, local arts and culture organizations in Des Moines, Iowa. His work explores universal languages, focusing on stories we share as a global community, finding beauty within the chaos of our world. To learn more about his work please browse his website at www.cmichaelcox.com or contact him via email at CMichaelCox@q.com  

4 June 1 Permalink

Supporting the arts through custodial arts.

The Green Show, Hillyard Des Moines

April 27 - May 31, 2012

(Left) Gene Hamilton Des Moines IA, (Right) Rex Hausmann, San Antonio TX

Review by Rachel

May 28, 2012

The Green Show is a juried exhibition currently on view at Hillyard Des Moines, a custodial supply distribution warehouse in the middle of an industrial park in Urbandale. General manager Chad Michael Cox brought in artworks addressing accepts of our environment including human and global sustainability. The show features works of art from 16 local, national and international artists. For the opening, Hillyard covered travel and brought in a few of the out of state artists for a public panel discussion.

(Left to Right) Chad Micheal Cox, Don Lisy, Jeff Zelnio, Richard Wright, Sarah Miller and Mary McAdams

Jimmy Greenfield, Brooklyn NY

The art in the show ranges from stunning to banal but works as whole in the unusual location. The pieces range in materials from a few works printed slick on sheets of metal, a landscape built from the graphic design elements on various packaging, a compacted dirt wall hanging and a mosaic light piece.  Each artwork exhibits a personal interpretation of the environmental concept, and the overall conversation expands past literal assumptions or expectations about what an environmental art show would or could look like.

There are overlapping concepts between “The Green Show” and the condition of humanity’s need to clean and be clean. This is intentional. Cox used this show and a prior art show entitled “Sweeping Up the Mess” as a promotional tool to promote Hillyard’s “greener solutions” agenda. His message is that there is no way to be purely “green”, but through education and awareness of science we can all be “greener”. “Sweeping Up the Mess” invited artists in an open call to use Hillyard cleaning supplies in their own interpretation. Interpretations ranged from poetry written on toilet paper and paper towels to multiple performance pieces during the opening. 

The next Story Mob event is June 28th. The prop is Cassette Tape. What is Story Mob?

In addition to his promotion of art through Hillyard, Cox is a writer. He wrote Chapter 4 in the local Modern Dickens project, “The Devil is Done Sinning”. He is organizing the Story Mob events with the Des Moines Social Club. Cox has an encouraging ability to create opportunities for individual expression. With his own resources, he creates new ways of approaching material, space and discussion through invitation. He is building bridges in Des Moines with other creative communities and individuals throughout the Midwest. I am looking forward to the next art show at Hillyard Des Moines. Click here to follow future shows at Hillyard.

29 May Permalink