Ken Johnson's Rebel Without The Claws?
"Despite its rousing first impact, the exhibition (Sheperd Fairey) leaves you with a sense of dismay at the devolution of a certain avant-garde dream into a kind of visual easy listening for the college-educated masses."
The Gesture Rules Exhibit at The Art Space
Our (as in the Yellow Springs Arts Council) Art Space was honored to showcase Deborah Dillon-Bloch and Andrzej Bloch selected works from their private collection of Polish Graphic Posters and Intaglio Prints from post World War II circa 1950-1995. The works have been described as bold, potent, mesmerizing, and stunning in their use of the gesture. The artists displayed offer an insight into a unique period in Poland’s history.
After seeing the Dillon's collection I understand what the critic Ken Johnson, meant when he stated about Fairey's exhibit, "What is missing from his work is a deeper, more personal and therefore less predictably formulaic dimension. "
The images in Gesture Rules exhibit was stunning on several levels in regards to draftsmanship, quality, and content.
"Despite its rousing first impact, the exhibition (Sheperd Fairey) leaves you with a sense of dismay at the devolution of a certain avant-garde dream into a kind of visual easy listening for the college-educated masses."
The Gesture Rules Exhibit at The Art Space
Our (as in the Yellow Springs Arts Council) Art Space was honored to showcase Deborah Dillon-Bloch and Andrzej Bloch selected works from their private collection of Polish Graphic Posters and Intaglio Prints from post World War II circa 1950-1995. The works have been described as bold, potent, mesmerizing, and stunning in their use of the gesture. The artists displayed offer an insight into a unique period in Poland’s history.
After seeing the Dillon's collection I understand what the critic Ken Johnson, meant when he stated about Fairey's exhibit, "What is missing from his work is a deeper, more personal and therefore less predictably formulaic dimension. "
The images in Gesture Rules exhibit was stunning on several levels in regards to draftsmanship, quality, and content.
From what I learned, this poster was a reference to the era of Martial Law in Poland. The Five pointed red star is the symbol for communism and Russia.
Empty still he sat and pined.And then a notion cheered his mind:
The miller's daughter I shall wed.
"Girl, I ask your hand," he said.
Poem by Kurt Baumann and illustration by Stasy Eidrigevicius from the book The Hungry One: a poem
If you look closely this is a photograph of someone holding a mask done by Stasy and I think really illustrates the poem beautifully.
If you missed this exhibit you might have a chance to see it again next week. Pop back here for an update.
UPDATE: Second Showing Saturday, March 28 from 11am to 3pm
As for Fairey's work, I like it, but I would have to agree with the NYT critic, it doesn't have the personal wallop. "Maybe if some such psychological dimension were more consciously integrated, Mr. Fairey’s work would be more like art than like canny illustration of what everyone already knows".
Of course that is one critics opinion. If anyone saw Fairey's exhibit please do post and share your opinion s to why you liked the work (putting aside one's personal opinion of Fairey) or didn't, or felt the critic was on target.
