Meadowbrook Faculty Show

 

Be sure to check out the Meadowbrook Studio Art Faculty show - Jan. 14-Feb. 19, 2006.



Vagner M. Whitehead - photo/video installation - This room had an eerie feel and the work was developed but it seemed a bit typical - tortured figures with hand stitching in the prints. Don't get me wrong, this might be up someone else's alley, but I just personally didn't dig it.

Sally Schluter Tardella - male/female backsides - This work sparked an on-going art debate between myself and another gallery attendee. I felt as though, particularly on the piece above, the background seemed like an after-thought. The space in the piece below is more resolved but I still find the painting and concept a little more art schoolish and less art faculty-ish. The debate when on to discuss the differences between Tardella's works and Goody's works. While Tardella uses strong focal figures as the subject and Goody uses a narrative of figures and background that are just as important as one another.

Dick Goody - landscape/figurative narratives - My first glimpses of Mr. Goody's work at District Arts left a lukewarm impression but this show has changed my opinion. Normally works of this nature would drive me crazy - but I have learned to enjoy his flat layers of paint and circling background. Even though the style of the figures is still a little unsettling they work well with the strange activity of the landscape. I attended a lecture that Dick participated in...he is an interesting character to say the least - he was the most interesting panelist in the "what is art" discussion.



It was these details that drew me into the works...I like knowing the history of a painting. The paintings while flat in application are very dimensional - painting the space within the forms. The fleshy qualities remind me of painters like early de kooning, diebenkorn, and gorky.







Abe Kyohei - constuction epson prints

Andrea Eis - epson archival prints- These prints speak of things that are either over my head or they are just trying too hard to be something...ancient...roman...greek? I am bored by the imagry that doesn't make me want to look into the pieces further. Yes, harsh...but someone's got to say it.



and Lynn Galbreath - narrative figure sequence- This piece was a complete surprise to me! I am accustomed to seeing landscapes by Lynn but I was pleasantly shocked to see this long frieze-like painting. The paintings have a little bit of Kristin Beaver in them but still that wonderful glazing that Lynn is famous for. Up close the paintings shine and vibrate with rich glazes of alizarin crimson and ultramarine. I enjoy when artists take risks and that said I am happy to see that she is still experimenting! Go see this show in person, but go into it like a sunday with the family and not a friday night out with friends...it isn't a shocking opening but it will spark some dialog.