Current Moberg Exhibition: Exploring Opposites and How They Attract

The current exhibition at the Moberg Gallery highlights paradoxes in nature on a colorless stage where the shadows, shapes, and materials hold suspense for the viewer.

Front of gallery view.  Kathranne Kinght's drawings in the background and Jessica Teckemeyer's animals in the foreground. 



I visited the exhibition last Saturday and was pleasantly surprised that I was the only one in the gallery.  I felt like I was on a black and white movie set that was about to shoot a dream like sequence in a haunted forest (I have a great imagination J ).  Immediately greeting me at the door was an all-white panther hanging vertically in the air with its teeth clenched to a knotted rope.  Artist Jessica Teckemeyer writes in her artist statement that this specific piece represents the human emotion “struggle” .  The emotion of the panther is pretty impressive; clenched muscles, strained limbs, “struggle” is written all over this guy’s body.   

Navigating through the gallery, I wasn’t particularly drawn to Guy Loraine or Kathranne Knight’s works (trees and acorns)  but viewed them more as a back drop to the real action that was happening in both Teckemeyer's and Larassa Kabel’s works.  This is not to say that these works are unimportant but I just found them to be complimentary instead of having a significant role in the show.   



Teckemeyer's fawn with panther mask close up

Teckemeyer's fawn with panther mask

Continuing my trek through the creepy colorless forest, I was greeted by more panthers, confused animals, and beautiful horses.  I was really impressed by Teckemeyer’s fawn with a panther mask.  I learned from the gentleman working at the gallery that she uses taxidermy molds and poly urethane to create the sculpture, then sands it down and paints with exterior car paint to achieve the soft matte finish.  The outcome is outstanding.  It really works to achieve the polarity in soft and sweet vs rough and dangerous found in both the animal and the composition. Smooth surfaces with jagged, dramatic, expressions and movements are executed precisely.  Because the animals have taxidermy eyes, a reflection of one’s self on the sculpted animals is strongly proposed.  

I think I could go on forever about all the opposites touched on in this show, such as: light vs dark, good vs evil, hard vs soft, tame vs wild, but I won’t in this blog because it would bore you.

 East wall of the gallery highlighting Larassa Kabel's horses.

Kabel close up

"The Brave One' Colored pencil on paper by Larassa Kabel

Rounding out my walk around the gallery, I almost passed up on the horse drawings by Kabel.  Boy am I glad I didn’t.  These are amazingly beautiful.  The craftsmanship and detail that has gone into these drawings are amazing!  My shitty camera phone cannot give justice to the high quality of her work so please do me a favor and view her website http://larassakabel.com/and go see these works in person.  I find the pose of the horses breathtaking.  I learned from a friend who has worked with the artist that some of the subjects are diving horses, others are mustangs bucking wildly.  The drama captured in these moments is stunning and brilliant.  I absolutely adore and cherish any artist that puts so much detail and work into a single piece, the end product speaks volumes to their skill level and patience.

Front:  Teckemeyer's fawn casting a wolf shadow.  Again working with light and shadows to create drama and show paradoxes in nature.
Back: One of Kabel's larger works.

This show ends mid-October so get in while you can.  http://moberggallery.com/exhibits.shtml

Celebrating Claes Oldenburg

In celebration of Claes Oldenburg’s dual exhibitions currently at MOMA in NY, I’ve decided to highlight one of his most beloved works here in Des Moines.  Maybe you've driven by it on your way through downtown, perhaps you walk by it every day on your way to work, but have you ever stopped to ponder what that thing is?

Claes Oldenburg, Crusoe Umbrella, Cor-Ten steel painted with polyurethane enamel, 37 x 37 x 58 ft. , 1979

Nollen Plaza, across from the Des Moines Civic Center

That thing, is Crusoe Umbrella.  And I can't tell you how lucky "little old Des Moines, Iowa"  is to have it.  Oldenburg is a big deal and it says a lot about our city that he accepted this commission and gifted us with such a prolific work of art. 

The idea for Crusoe Umbrella came after a visit to the Netherlands where Oldenburg discussed Crusoe’s umbrella with his father in law. The work is an oversized replica of the handmade umbrella from Daniel Defoe’s historic novel: Robison Crusoe in which the main character, Crusoe, makes by hand an umbrella while castaway on an island.  The umbrella became one of the few items he took with him off the island once he was rescued.

The work was commissioned by the Des Moines Civic Center in 1978 and was installed Thanksgiving week of 1979.  In regards to the placement and site specific work Oldenburg said the following:

“We wanted to place an exotic element in the midst of prosaic circumstances and turn the center of the continent paradoxically into an island in the sea.”

Keeping Oldenburg’s inspiration in mind, viewers can see just how precisely he has executed his plan.  Crusoe’s umbrella has been carried through the wind from far away seas and fallen in Nollen plaza. It’s rough and rugged angles combined with its enormous size, emphasize the significance of the simple every day object.  One should also notice that the Traveler's umbrella which lights up the Insurance Exchange building at 5th and Grand speaks to Oldenburg's umbrella in a way that allows the object to give Des Moines a downtown symbol.  Going along with Oldenburg’s theme of monumentalizing the ever day object, he has glorified the umbrella like no other artist could for Des Moines. 



View of the Insurance Exchange Building in Downtown Des Moines

Here's a link to MOMA outlining Oldenburg's current show.  I'm so jealous of anyone that gets to see this, as I'm a huge Oldenburg fan.  Make sure to share this blog with your NY friends and tell them about the show!

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1320

 

Des Moines also hosts Oldenburg's Plantoir, across from the Meredith building, publisher to Better Homes and Gardens.  Kinda cheeky huh?  Here's a link to the Des Moines Public Art Foundations' website for more information on that piece:

http://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/public-art/plantoir/

 

The Des Moines Art Center is home to Oldenburg's Plug.  Although the piece is currently at conservation, it usually displayed in the lower contemporary gallery and in my opinion, is one of Oldenburg's best works.  Here's a link the the piece through the Art Center's website:

http://emuseum.desmoinesartcenter.org/

 

 

Lindsay Burke: Emerging Artist

Among the emerging artists at this year's Des Moines Art Festival was Lindsay Burke.  An Iowa native and University of Iowa  BFA student, Lindsay's multimedia works show dynamic use of paper and paint.  Her use of small nonchalantly placed paper cut outs give her paintings depth and uniform.  The works I found most striking were her landscapes and figures. This winter scene was my favorite.

I was pleased to see that Lindsay's booth was busy with activity and that people were showing a lot of interest in her work.  Lindsay was extremely humble and a delightful artist to chat with for 5 minutes.  I encourage you to support her work and know that your money is going to a cool Iowa native.

Check out her profile online to explore all of her well accomplished genres (don't pass up the "Tradition" section) :   Lindsaymburke.com

We hope to have works by Burke up at HOQ restaurant later this year.

Tracy Duran-Torres of the Des Moines Art Center

If you have read the paper today, please check out this online link.  My coworker Tracy Duran- Torres is one amazing gal.


http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130701/LIFE/307020013/1039?nclick_check=1

Phyllida Barlow: Scree

Over the past year I have been wanting to review several shows at the Des Moines Art Center but because I am an employee I have found my opinions and reviews to be a conflict of interest for by blog.  I have decided to express my thoughts through poem and hope this to be a continued form of review on my blog.  Please give me some feedback - I'm new to this avenue of expression. 

 

Photo Credit: Des Moines Art Center Facebook
Check out their facebook page for more awesome pics of the installation!
 

 

 

 

Phyllida Barlow: Scree

 

The Strong is Rigid

Through a Rough Solid path

An Unyielding Boulder

Colliding a climb

Twine Ledge

Covers a crowded Spine

Powerfully Minimizing

Performing on Stilts

To a kind Web

 

 

The show is happening NOW at the Des Moines Art Center and closes September 22nd. 

Admission is FREE - so no excuses!

 

 

Phyllida Barlow and Gilbert Vicario Lecture

I am a big fan of Phyllida Barlow so I wanted to share this with you all:

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/aspx/events/event-detail.aspx?eventID=11505


Her show "Scree" is opening this Thursday evening at the Des Moines Art Center.  I had the pleasure of meeting the artist last week and was completely taken back by how kind and down to earth she is.  I think this is going to be a really great lecture.  Come!

Tuesday, June 16th @ 6:30 pm in the Levitt Auditorium of the Des Moines Art Center  FREE

Ashley Tape Fleming at The Lift

plant paintings by Ashley Tape Fleming at The Lift

 I am loving the current artwork up at The Lift right now in downtown Des Moines.  The artist is Ashley Tape Fleming and I believe this is her first solo show.  Her simplistic black and white cityscapes like "No Luke Just Skywalker" would make perfect backgrounds to Keith Haring figures and her still life plant drawings echo past voices of Matisse and Picasso's confident use of line.  Fleming has effortlessly captured the Des Moines vibe through her thick black lines and she's allowed our bike riding, Oldenburg loving, city to be animated two dimensionally onto her canvas.  The works, although simplistic, leave some interpretation to viewers but nothing is too abstract for those more inebriated patrons.  Works like "Jesus Lisa" show a cheeky sense of humor while delighting in the preciseness of its interpretation.  I can't wait to see what's next from both the artist and The Lift.

" Jesus Lisa"

"Kinda Blue"

"No Luke Just Skywalker"

Props to my friend Aaron who took pictures on his camera phone for me.

More Jun Kaneko

Check out this link to the Des Moines Greater Area Public Art Foundation website:

http://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/news-2/legends-myths-and-truths-jun-kaneko/

When I originally posted this blog, I thought that Millennium Park was in Des Moines (this shows how unfamiliar I am with my new turf, I'm figuring it out though people!).  I now realize that these works are up in Chicago.  I can't wait to check these out next time I'm there!

HOQ art preview

Thank you to all of the artist who submitted artwork for the new restaurant in the East Village.  The restaurant has chosen Celinda Stamy as their first artist.  Her landscapes look great in the restaurant and the folks at HOQ are so happy to have her artwork up on the walls!  Here's a sneak peak of her work:

Celinda Stamy, Home, O/C 3x6'

There will be more of Celinda's artwork installed throughout the restaurant and a second artist will also be featured later this month.   Check back soon for updates and artist info! 

42nd Annual Student Juried Student Exhibition at Drake University

My husband Andrew and I attended Drake University’s 42^nd Annual Juried Student Exhibition opening at the Anderson Gallery last weekend.  Although we missed the award ceremony (we were busy filling up at the Library on bloodys and breakfast) we did catch the tail end of the opening and were pleased to see a couple dozen people attended the opening.  The exhibition was juried by the Des Moines Art Center’s Senior Curator, Gilbert Vicario.  Gilbert did a great job of picking a wide variety of mediums which highlighted Drake’s strongest students.  Works ranged from large triptych paintings to mixed media sculptures of all sizes.  I have chosen to highlight a few of the pieces that resonated with me based on a personal connection.  Because there are no wrong or right answers when writing about art, I tend to stick with my instincts and base most of my critiques on feeling.  All of our opinions on whether something is beautiful or ugly are based on our own personal experiences and memories.

"Dear Agony" Shoshanah Holl

When I saw this piece I thought of a friend of mine who is into suspension and body modification.  She posts pictures of herself and friends attending gatherings (for lack of a better word) where people have long hooks penetrating through their backs, forearms, stomachs, and chests which are connected to some type of chains which suspend them in the air.  I’ve also seen a picture of my friend with a “corset” on her back which looked like piercing holes with criss-crossed ribbon going through them to form a corset like the painting. I’ve never participated in these events but my understanding is that it provides a euphoric sense of freedom.  Here’s a link to a flyer I found online demonstrating suspension: 

http://www.wastelandsuspensions.com/events.cfm#

Her photos always provoked a strong feeling of anxiety for me.  I couldn’t help but think “What if those hooks tear through their back and that person falls and bleeds all over the floor?!”  Of course this thought is because I am ignorant to suspension. When I saw “Dear Agony” I was flooded with memories of my friend’s photos on facebook.  That pit of anxiety returned to my stomach and was immediately followed by appreciation of art and it’s abilities to evoke such strong emotions. 

Unknown Artist and Title - Mario

Chances are this image has already brought back memories for you.  Remember how hard the castle level of Mario Brothers was when you were a kid?  I swear that level had the best background music!  What this brought to mind for me was the recent announcement by NY MoMA that they intend to acquire 40 video games for their permanent collection.  Here’s a link to an article on their website, I strongly suggest reading the comments:

http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/ 

This provoked banter back and forth between me and my husband debating the topic whether or not video games are art.  Andrew’s point of view “Video games are definitely art!”  Mine: “I don’t get it.”  But just because I don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s not art.  I just haven’t thought about its true purpose in the museum yet.  What do you think?  Also, I want to apologize for not getting the title and artist of this piece.  The picture I took was too fuzzy and I was unable to zoom in on the wall text label.  

"Projecting Rigidness" Katlynn Sammons

"Projecting Rigidness" Katlynn Sammons

 

There’s a lot going on here.  First I thought the subject looked like a girl named Rhiannon that was friends with one of my college roommates, Jesse.  It’s not her, but it looks like her.  In fact, it could be anyone, the downward gaze and ambiguity of the female subject makes the piece relatable and makes us want to turn our heads to the side and do a double take to see if we might know her.  Once I got past studying the projected person and their identity, I thought about the mesh sculpture itself.  The shape to me looks like a futuristic mini dress with an outer space influence. The use of negative space with the mesh sculpture and its effect on the projection behind it are well thought out.  I would have liked to be there to see the artist turn on the projector and fiddle with the focus and size of the projected image.  Her use of light and dark with black and white in contrast to the bright pink of the subject’s tshirt demands gallery goers to stop and take notice.  For this factor alone, I think the piece deserves respect.

There are lots of great pieces I did not touch on that were featured in this show.  Drake is certainly pumping out great artists who should not be overlooked.  Here is a link to the exhibition catalogue:

http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fartsci.drake.edu%2Fandersongallery%2FJuriedShowBookletv3.pdf&images=yes 

Show Ends April 5th

A Call to Iowa Artists

Two blog posts in 1 day, it's crazy how productive one can be when they turn the tv off!  Please read bellow my call to Iowa Artists:

A new restaurant in the East Village is currently seeking Iowa landscape paintings to adorn its very empty walls.  This is a farm to table restaurant that sources nearly all its ingredients from sustainable Iowa farms.  The goal is to find works by local Iowa artists which feature Iowa’s landscape but is not strictly limited to landscape painters (abstract and mixed media artists please apply as well).  A large portion of the restaurant walls are concrete so additional installation hardware may need to be added to accommodate ceiling hanging.  All sizes of works are welcome and although the restaurant is primarily looking for 2D works, 3D mediums are also welcome to submission.  Selected works will be hung on consignment; the restaurant will not be purchasing any artwork at this time. 

A glimpse of the restaurant interior:

If you are interested please contact: Megan.M.Cohen@gmail.com

Embrace Your Inner Creeper

Viking Funeral, works by Holly Wist at the Stomping Grounds in Ames

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday (shout out to my mom!) and we went to the Stomping Grounds in Ames for lunch.  The Stomping Grounds is known for their tasty food and wide variety of teas, but did you know they also have sweet artwork too?  My mom and I sat in the back of the restaurant and as we waited for our waiter, I noticed behind my mom three very cool paintings.  After a few minutes of small talk, the paintings continued to beckon me so I excused myself from our table and got up to take pictures from my camera phone. 

Procession XII

Procession IX

The artist of these works is Holly Wist, a Drake graduate who currently lives in Des Moines.  Her dramatic use of (here comes the giant art history word of the day:) chiaroscuro is reminiscent of earlier artists such as the master of light himself, Caravaggio.

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, 1600 c.e.

Wist's use of chiaroscuro in addition to the perspective makes the viewer feel like an outcast, or maybe even a stalker.  I can see them, but in the dark can they see me?  Looking at her works almost makes me feel sneaky like I’m doing something wrong.  This could also be due to the fact that I am on the Iowa State campus where as a high school student I used to sneak out at night and go to keggers with my friends.  The title of this show is Viking Funeral and what I got from Wist’s artist statement is that these works reflect moments in time in which a memorable event is coming to it’s end.  Take for example this piece which one can infer from her statement as the closing show of a music festival.  

Procession XI

 

I can totally see where she is going with this idea, but for me, it still looks like I’m creeping.  But I say, embrace your inner creeper!  These paintings rock and at only $200 buck a pop, I myself am thinking about buying one.  Check it out Ames friends, these works are a nice addition to the already awesome Stomping Grounds. 

For better pictures not taken on a camera phone and a look at the artist statement go here:

 http://amescart.org/2013/01/holly-wist-viking-funeral/

"Endurable Wear" by Tatiana Klusak

Two days before the opening of Tatiana Klusak’s solo exhibition at Fluxx, Under control, I caught a sneak peek on the gallery’s website which featured a picture of “Endurable Wear” (bellow).

The sculpture intrigued me so I followed the link on Fluxx’s website to Klusak’s homepage http://tatianaklusak.com/index.html .  Here I found an image of the piece as well as her artist statement.  In short, Klusak is interested in exploring tools and their functions.  Her works are a result of her own “inability to confidently socialize” making her work personal.  Her sculptural pieces are in a sense, inventions which will remain dusty, never worn, and never used to compensate for her inabilities, thus creating a paradox between functional works and their inability to actually perform.  I strongly suggest referencing her website where Klusak has done a good job clearly explaining her motives and intentions throughout her sculptures.

After reading the artist statement and looking at other examples of Klusak’s work I knew “Endurable Wear” was some type of assisting tool, and my guess (based on the suspenders and durability of materials) was that it was intended for use in the work place.  Because I could not conceptually grasp just what it was the piece was meant to be used for, I printed off a photo of “Endurable Wear” and thought of a series of questions to analyze the piece which might lead me to an answer (yes, I am an art nerd, and actually do stuff like this).

What was the subject meant to endure?

Define “endurable”

How can this be used in the work place?

I took the photo and my questions to my neighborhood pub where I met my husband Andrew and engaged him in a conversation on Conceptual Art.  After showing him the picture and asking him what he thought the piece meant, he looked at it for a minute or two and said “Maybe it’s an SNM or torture device.”   Not knowing Tatiana or her artwork, I can see this as being a common first assumption.  Several sharpened dowels poking into someone’s butt simultaneously might look a little kinky.  I entertained this possibility and thought maybe the trousers are meant to create pain that one must endure to sympathize with someone who has been sodomized.  This didn’t fit with the motif of Klusak’s work as a whole so I quickly rejected the idea.

I noticed the dowels were attached to strings so that when applied pressure from one’s butt, the dowels would not in fact poke, but release.  I thought maybe, it could be a butt scratcher.  Maybe there is a way to position one’s self so these dowels are actually massaging the butt, not hurting it.   Does Tatiana have an itchy butt and this has caused her to create such a piece? Doubtful.

The day of the opening I thought about the piece a lot.  Frustrated that I hadn’t figured out what the purpose was, but excited its true purpose would be revealed.  I arrived at Fluxx late (10 pm) and to my surprise the gallery was still hopping with a big crowd.  The trousers were the first thing I saw but I decided to skip them and examine each other piece first.  Having known and worked with Klusak over the past few months, I made a point of saying “hi” to her before circling the gallery.  A multiple panel art film featuring Klusak dabbing mustard on bread pieces in assembly line fashion, a measuring stick with several ranges of motion, and an audible device were all on display.  Each were witty and well thought out.  I turned the corner to sign the guest book and saw two people leaning on a pedestal with one of Klusak’s sculptures on it.  When I first arrived, I saw her take an empty beer can off the same pedestal.  Here comes my negative gallery rant:

If you are going to an art show simply to drink free booze, the least you can do is display proper artiquette.  I enjoy the laid back atmosphere of Fluxx and appreciate that it invites all genres of people.  I do however find it unattractive when patrons engage in drunken conversations, completely oblivious to the fact that they are at an art show, leaning on a work of art.  More specifically, I have seen the same guy at Fluxx openings the past three months, being drunk, hitting on girls, and showing no respect to the artists.  Okay, now that I got that out of my system…

I reached Klusak and enthusiastically asked her about her piece.  Klusak indulged me by simply explaining the piece: “It can only poke you if you are sitting down.”  Aha!  The light bulb went off, and I felt instant gratification.  This piece is made to increase productivity!  Examining the piece again, I could clearly see that when standing erect the dowels would not poke you, but if you were to sit down, the metal plate would force them to poke you.  

This concept, so simple, yet so rewarding is the essence of conceptual artwork.  As an artist of a new generation of conceptual artists, I find Klusak’s sculptures to be intriguing, thought provoking, and extraordinarily original.  The fact that you can attend her show or view her sculptures without finding reference to another artist makes her works personal and engaging.  I think Klusak has a great future in sculpture and look forward to her future inventions.  “Endurable Wear” and other works featured in Under control will be shown at Fluxx through January 30^th.  Don’t miss this show