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May 4th, 2002 - The War Show
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The WAR Show, from its promotion cards to the works themselves, was a heavy thing. Most of the artists included took a look at warfare from a social rather than military angle which, in this writers opinion, was a good thing. On display were critiques of gender politics, laughable satires of the war conceptualization, as well as depictions of internal wars of ideas and the sometimes hidden warfare of domestic violence. Those artists who dealt directly with military concepts did so with a deftness and awareness unique to artists. While this show saw the return of key artists from the prior show, several new artists graced the walls. John Bannon's "9/12/02" (oil on panel), a close-cropped study of our current Commander-in-Chief encouraged contemplation regarding both our President and the situation we all found ourselves in the day after terror struck home. The gallery's sunroom displayed two works by newcomer Melissa Ebbe, who presented one large work (4 by 6 feet) and one small work (5 by 5 inches). "Ramona", the large piece, is a frankly painted nude who unassumingly stands beside a two-headed goat. In Ebbe's smaller work, "Viktor", a mouse peruses a decaying orange surface. A returning artist, Curt Frankenstein, awed many with his two large etchings. Amazingly skillful, these works were poetic experiences. The first, "The Fortress", depicted a number of bearded male imps besieging a towering corset inhabited - and defended - by female imps. The second work, "Manchild's Toy" shows a massive city-like top spinning precariously on a large chess board. Also returning was Roy Robinson, with a charming send-up of the state of war, replete with movie headliners, end-times criers and joyful economists. Matt Ballou's "Extraction (Self-Portrait with the Façade of the Art Institute of Chicago)", a happily self-important work, was displayed with dozen votive candles below it; they almost transformed the work into an altarpiece. Probably the most striking work of the returning artists was Consuelo Alonzo's oil on canvas work titled "Pillow". Surprisingly confrontational, the piece shows Alonzo - eyes wide and frightened - with a pillow placed over her screaming mouth. It's a powerful work, open and emotional. Overall, the WAR show was not as uniform as the Inaugural Show. The artists each brought their perspectives to the space; some tongue-in-cheek, some earnestly heartfelt. The unfortunate aspect to this thematic disunity was that certain works stood out much more than others. This observation is neither unwarranted nor negative, as only a fool would expect a show about war to be marked by unity. The good thing is that artists got another chance to express ideas, and this alone justifies the space. Kudos to the Gillock Gallery team for taking chances and resisting the temptation to put on only aesthetically pleasing, socially neutral shows.
~Lawrence Smith
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All content copyright 2003 Consuelo Alonzo Gillock Updated: 11/21/2005 |
