Small Worlds 2015, Alden Willard Cole, Burnell Yow! Seen Through Microfilm Darkly, mixed media
Small Worlds 2015 at The Plastic Club
Alden Cole‘s Burnell Yow! Seen Through Microfilm Darkly encapsulates the Small Worlds show of 95 artworks into a singular statement using the language of mixed media. The use of painting, portraiture and graphic design overlaid with found objects combines elements of many art disciplines on multiple levels. The microfilm is an anachronism from The National Archives, an outdated information storage system saved from the dumpster here laid out in an abstract grid of microfilm. Diving through the layers of information is like a time trip through ideas, the mash-up mixed media of art and technology is as much a portrait of Burnell as the painted likeness.
The subject of the small artwork, Burnell Yow! is a Philadelphia artist who works in the varied media of painting, collage, assemblage, sculpture, and digital art & photography. A colorful character, he prefers tie-dye, is very tech savvy, making popular videos and information designs. When I first started this blog Burnell taught me how to do web safe images. He has also helped Alden create his own very expressive art blog. The portrait is about an inspired friendship. Alden Cole‘s mixed media messages are effectively utilizing multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional elements by being informative, up-cycling found material, social practice connectedness and friendly time sharing.
Small Worlds 2015, The Plastic Club, Bob Jackson, Hands On, junk and stuff
Photography is a powerful form of information design, just because everyone has a camera doesn’t mean that photography is easy. The argument that if you shoot 1000 pictures will get you at least one good shot is like saying a painting by an elephant is more valuable than a human painting. In Hands On, Bob calls his found materials junk and stuff but the photograph is central to the core message. The subject of the photo is the Venus di Milo, an image that is culturally ingrained, the meme of the armless beauty is exotic and charmed. Doll parts fill in the story land void, what would Venus’ arms be like?
Small Worlds 2015, The Plastic Club, Susan E. Ellis, Too Much of Water Hast Thou, Poor Ophelia, encaustic, photo collage
Photography plays a potent role in the encaustic collage, Too Much of Water Hast Thou, Poor Ophelia, providing a character data base. Temporal narratives are encoded in the figure, the mark-making into the layered wax speaks like a performance. Drama and time are encased in wax, photography and art, the emotional waves of color surge with suspense and tension, the model in the photograph becomes an actress. Storing memories forever in wax is a time based performance piece, a dramatic narrative and questions of how will the image of the beautiful drowning girl survive. The never-ending story breathes with emotional depths and soulful sentimentality.
Small Worlds 2015, The Plastic Club, Robert Bohne, Sinners and Saints, oil
At this point, Bob Bohne understands how to make atmospheric light in his paintings, he sees through the layers of pigment and finds the most evocative tones to match his message, to communicate his feelings. The Philadelphia cosmopolitan landscape painter takes us on a memory trip to a place like home. There is a sense of comfortable familiarity encoded in the shapes of the landscape, the architectural ideals, and spiritual influences on community design that informs us about contemporary culture.
Philadelphia artist James E. Dupree was the prize juror, his keen eye and hand on the pulse of the urban art community awarded a deserving and select group with prizes. Suzanne Duplantis, First Prize, Emily Fugie Mair, Second Prise, Molly Carpenter, Third Prize, Susan E. Ellis, HM, Robert Bohne, HM, Denise Sedor, HM and Doris Peltzman, HM.
Small Worlds 2015, The Plastic Club Art Studio & Gallery 247 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19107 215-545-9324. Exhibitions are open to the public during Work Shop hours or by appointment.
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Written and photographed by DoN Brewer except where noted.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks DoNNie for such a kudo. I’m not sure i was conscious of doing all those things you see my work doing, but that would tie in with my belief that i’m just channeling this stuff anyway…
;-))
Sorry i missed the opening but the inclemency kept me at home and warm.
Alden Willard Cole
note: the weather was terrible with an ice storm that day.
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