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This show will continue through March 31st, 2006. Curt Frankenstein: Whimsical Earnestness The paintings and etchings of Curt Frankenstein, on display at Gillock Gallery in Evanston this month, are an amazing testament to a life in art. Mr. Frankenstein, now in his 80s, is the elder statesman of the Gillock Gallery artists. Born in Germany and steeped in Surrealism, this artist has followed a singular vision for many years in his paintings and printmaking. This show helps display those years with distinct clarity. If describing the works of Curt Frankenstein could be reduced two a few simple words, perhaps the best would be Illustrative Surrealism. The artworks have a will toward illustration that is charming rather than a turn off. The variety of messages – now political, now spiritual – allow a number of readings for the works, and keep their Surrealist styling from appearing too forced or assumed. We discover the distortions, the quirks, and they add to the meaning available from the work. His use of color is brilliant, taking advantage of all the saturation and density he can find. The warmth of gray he achieves in many of the oil paintings is truly astounding, and shows him to be a lifelong student of color theory. In his hand-colored etchings, this color is more reserved, aiming toward a middle tone that enhances the line of the etching rather than overpowering it. In either medium he chooses his hand is tremendously present in the work. His activity is not an affectation; it is an efficient expression through his hand of experience. He knows how to do just enough. The etchings, which take cues from the likes of Redon and Tenniel, have an absolute beauty of construction that belies their often-humorous subjects. Frankenstein’s hand, both swift and strong, carries the boldest and softest lines with an élan that comes from years of dedication and vision. These etchings are often transformative as well as descriptive. A work such as Awakening, for example, is both plainly evocative as an interesting image and metaphorically challenging. This duality may be the most fundamental form of Surrealism, with its focus on the uncanny yet strangely familiar image. Frankenstein has found that niche. Certain themes, in both visual and content terms, are revealed at this show. Frankenstein’s use of doors or gates is particularly interesting, and the works that depict these passageways inspire contemplation. His playful amalgamation of birds and humans is a common theme in many works, and is used to good effect in works of commentary such as the etchings Birds of a Feather and The D-Owl Jones Industrial Average. High points in this show include the etching I mentioned above, Awakening, and a hand colored etching titled The Magical Bedchamber. Oil paintings that stand out are Preservation of Liberty, a large work that plays on the containment of freedom (another theme present in many works), and Birth of the Organization Men, a painting showing suited, managerial men emerging from eggs in a vast landscape. The works in this exhibition show an earnest whimsy, a playfulness that brings a knowing smile to the viewer. In these artworks, no matter what their medium, Frankenstein’s artistic maturity shines. His metaphorical intent is clear and present in each work, and this factor makes one feel that the artist is on the side of the viewer rather than trying to play the smart trickster. This may be the paradox of these works; that they don’t rely on gimmickry. It’s the openness of the works, the sincere lightheartedness of their presence, that makes them endearing. Perhaps this collection is the closest Gillock Gallery has come to showing a survey of an artist’s works. The variety and quality on display help to truly define this artist for those who see the show. It is a fitting way to begin 2006 for Gillock.
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All content copyright 2003 Consuelo Alonzo Gillock Updated: 01/29/2006 |
