gallery visits
This Friday I went to three gallery shows in Philadelphia. My first stop was at the Peng gallery, which was showing Kelly McRaven's paintings. Kelly McRaven works with interior space and landscape in a semi abstract manner. She paints with think brush strokes that allow the viewer to see movement in her work. I enjoyed her subject matter and composition. However, I felt that her painting style could use a bit more control due to its portrayal of realistic subjects. It seemed to be on the border of abstraction. It was hard to focus on the subject matter. I either looked at her paint strokes or her subject. It was hard to view both simultaneously.
My next trip was to the ICA at University of Pennsylvania to see John Amleder's "About Nothing" show. What I found interesting about Amleder's work was the way it was shown on the walls. The enormously high walls were covered in drawings of all sizes. I found my self wondering if the wall in general was considered his piece of the individual drawings on the wall. The height of some of the work implies that the wall was more significant. However, one tries to view individual works on the wall and each viewer picks different pieces to look at. Therefore, everyone views the wall in a different way. Some take in more than others and not one person will view the same work as the person next to them.
Also showing at the ICA a small gallery show with the theme "Fables." Artists showing in the gallery were Christopher Myers, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Kanishka Raja, and Kara Walker. It was interesting to see the different portrayals to the idea of a fable. Many artists worked with the idea of a "fable" as a stereotype. Many artists work portray a fable/stereotype in order to show the ridiculousness of it. Through creation one can prove of disprove a point. I liked that despite the wide variety of artists showing there was a very similar interpretation of what a fable is.
My favorite show that I attended this weekend was Elizabeth Osborne's show at the Locks Gallery entitled "Floating Landscapes." Elizabeth works with diluted paint in a Hellen Frankenthaler style to create an abstract water landscape. Her color is what is most striking and the way that she obtains such brilliant color and manages to have such a wash like surface. Her shapes depict while being abstract and the viewer feels as though they are being taken into another world. Her work was exciting and fun to view.
My next trip was to the ICA at University of Pennsylvania to see John Amleder's "About Nothing" show. What I found interesting about Amleder's work was the way it was shown on the walls. The enormously high walls were covered in drawings of all sizes. I found my self wondering if the wall in general was considered his piece of the individual drawings on the wall. The height of some of the work implies that the wall was more significant. However, one tries to view individual works on the wall and each viewer picks different pieces to look at. Therefore, everyone views the wall in a different way. Some take in more than others and not one person will view the same work as the person next to them.
Also showing at the ICA a small gallery show with the theme "Fables." Artists showing in the gallery were Christopher Myers, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Kanishka Raja, and Kara Walker. It was interesting to see the different portrayals to the idea of a fable. Many artists worked with the idea of a "fable" as a stereotype. Many artists work portray a fable/stereotype in order to show the ridiculousness of it. Through creation one can prove of disprove a point. I liked that despite the wide variety of artists showing there was a very similar interpretation of what a fable is.
My favorite show that I attended this weekend was Elizabeth Osborne's show at the Locks Gallery entitled "Floating Landscapes." Elizabeth works with diluted paint in a Hellen Frankenthaler style to create an abstract water landscape. Her color is what is most striking and the way that she obtains such brilliant color and manages to have such a wash like surface. Her shapes depict while being abstract and the viewer feels as though they are being taken into another world. Her work was exciting and fun to view.
posted by Babin at 7:47 PM
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