Art Event Write-Ups

Two by Land--Katherine Sandoz and Nicole Donnelly at the Sheppard Gallery

   I attended the exhibit, but I was unable to get an artists' statement--the desk area was pretty busy, but I enjoyed the art.   I am sure this exhibit is called "Two by Land", not only because there are 2 artists, but because their works are similar, but different.  One uses more of the textural technique and images, while one used bands of color to represent landscape views. The color choice would remind you of a landscape you saw somewhere, but the muted quality of the colors suggest that this is from a memory--you can remember some of the shapes, and the colors, but the details are not quite clear.  #5 does this for me:  we can see that it is a rock or hill, but the sediment layers are visible. It reminded me of the passage between Valencia and the north part of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles when you are traveling on Intersate 5. This is the San Andreas Fault rift zone, and you can see the shape of the rock, but the exact location is a bit vague in a memory.  

    

   The artist that used the textural techniques appears as though she might have used acrylics--some of the techniques used were almost like a resist, and there was also using and incorporating dripping paint into the work.  For example, #13 use the drips as tree roots. The works were abstract landscapes, with a few that had recognizable images, such as a castle and the sails rigging on a large ship. The rigging was painted white on a background that mixed broad sweeps with the resist technique peeking from underneath.  The ship reminded me of the Balclutha, a large, old cargo ship at the Maritime Museum in San Francisco.   The artist that chose to use the bands of color used color to illustrate the layers of landscape--a familiar yet unknown view from the highway of mountains, some close and some far.

            I thought this exhibit did a great job of evoking memory.  Sometimes when we travel, we see something, through the fog or in the distance, and we remember it.  It reminded the viewer to take in the broader picture, and not just the details.

Persuasion—text, placement and word use--Priscilla B. Varner at the Mc Namara

          I began by reading the artist’s statement. Varner says that printed words can be used and placed in certain ways to evoke emotion.  Words can change the mood of what we read:  a “small gathering of protesters” can be inflated to “angry mob,” sparking emotion in the reader.  Varner used photos, paired with a list of words hanging side by side—one word per line—intending to describe the picture in various ways.

           

            The first work I noted this in was “Juillet.”  The word was painted in dark gray or weathered black block letters on a white wall, with tree branches hanging over the wall. The words next to it were “anniversary, monumental, reconciliation, revolutionary, rights, unity.” And yes, those two words were printed in a fancy font.  After a short search, I found out that ‘juillet’ means ‘July’ in French. Now I could understand more about the picture:  someone’s wedding anniversary could have been in July, July is the month of Bastile Day in France, and perhaps July is also a month for other things.  In our country, it is the month for summer and the 4^th of July, so ‘rights’ might have meaning for us in the United States.

            Another example of word use is from a work called “des Rangees”, which is a photo of large chairs in a grand theatre, with little golden ornaments on top of the chairs that appear to be covered in velvet. Three of the words used are ‘luxurious,’ ‘warm’ and ‘opulent.’ Luxury means an expensive lifestyle to me, while opulent means expensive and over-decorated. The scene all depends on the word used to describe it, and that is what Varner wants us to do.

Wood, Paper, Etc—Walter McNamara at Sierra Arts Gallery

          (OK, so didn’t take notes when I was there, and I don’t recall names of pieces, but I will do my best here…) I had never seen McNamara’s work, so I was intrigued.  So many times collage and mixed media work just looks like a mish-mash of garbage put together with no purpose or meaning, but his works combine material and technique in a very interesting way.  This exhibit was interesting to me, from a crafter’s point of view, because I enjoy using mixed media myself, and I wanted to see what a “real” artist does.

            I don’t use a lot of wood, but McNamara combines wood with other materials, making a subtle statement about outdoor life here in Nevada. There is art in a tree limb or branches. I also like the message that comes from the pieces he created out of our garbage—each piece is a piece of our own modern lives, formed to create something usable from what we thought was no longer usable.