Went to two new art openings this first Friday. It had bee awhile since I had been over to Four Walls and to talk to to Shawn Dunwoody. This gallery its style and atmosphere are right up my alley. The food is usaully dry cereal fruit and the music is always funky.Pretty often a live band is booked to play for later on. I always seem to get there before the band goes on.This time was no different.The space is comfortable and fun to be in. The new addtion of the small walls gallery makes art accessible to a young audience and keeps, bright, funky and friendly.
The publicity fliers for this show were well thought out. The show was a mixed media show was works all including collage or mixed media sculpture.They were brown paper lunch bags with the info printed on them. They were labeled "Grab Bags" and stated that the bag is a place to keep "all your bits and Pieces." The title for the show was fitting it was all mixed media works that combined small pieces of mixed media. The front room had works by Kathy Farrell I recognized them immediately she had shown similar works during the "Get a Grip" show there last year. Kathy definitely has a style and after seeing several other of her works sometimes you recognize it. Others times she takes you by surprise.Tiny screws rough surface with drips of paint they clearly defined area generally using objects that create straight lines to clearly display an object.The titles often take serious issues and give the ma comical edge.
A series of light boxes by Elizabeth McDade show photos of rooms were historic figures were born. These looked familiar to me. Perhaps I have seen this artists work before? The light boxes were all covered with small toys and objects. The were all recognizable but painted mono chromatically to look like antique frames.Objects and toy such as squirt guns, kazoos,shells, figurines etc.
College works by Artist Nancy Topolski showed intricate cutting that looks like it most likely used an X-acto and was layered with stencil.
Large cast and found object combination that large on the wall were shown by artist Elizabeth Lyons. These human one piece called calipers combines large textured rope and coming off the end are two large apparently female, human limbs.
Shawn Dunwoody was also and exhibiting artist in this display and created light up objects that were displayed along with the light up photo boxes.Tree trucks wire and other objects all painted red hang from a gas can which has been turned into a light fixture. "Good use of gas can"Was all I could think."My boy friend spoke to me about how hard that would be to cut and pointed out the holes on the bottom that make that so that it could no longer be used for it's original use.
We bee lined over to the ROCO 6x6 show and then were handed another paper bag.This one was different it had the directions on how to purchase works from the show. It also had blank lines on the bottom to write down the number that identified your favorite works.
I have never seen such a large display of artwork.Except maybe at Artisan works. Every wall space of the gallery is push pinned with works even the sides.Cast Glass works, stained galss, cardboard, pen and ink, photography, felted and textile work you name is and most likely that media is somewhere there. So of the works were be artists I know I recognized or have seen their work before.The style was so characteristics of their work. Think I recognized some John Kasteners, Eddie Davis the 3rd,Dennis Furisuo and some others artist I have taken classes with at the MAG.
We found where ourswere and where my students works were and wrote down the numbers. We have not yet decided to buy yet. But I have some works in mind.
