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May 3rd, 2003 - The Figure and the Landscape
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The first show of the Gillock Gallery’s second season was a resounding success. A new location and a new attitude highlighted this variety show, which was gathered loosely under the premise of figures and landscapes. There was more open space, more light, more work, and more people. The live music was much better suited to this new location than it had been at the previous space. The layout allowed for much larger works, a better flowing and pacing of the experience and a sort-of forced mingling that displaced the event from a mere art opening into a social adventure. And the artwork itself; how diverse it was. Glasswork, printmaking, computer-based conceptual works and monumental paintings coalesce into a varied, pleasing experience. All that, and Gillock has been able to continue its tradition of routinely collecting some of the most interesting and notable artists working in the North Shore. The likes of established artists such as Bert Menco and Audrey Niffenegger – both masterful and known widely – contrast nicely with newer talents like Matthew Ballou and Melissa Ebbe. Gillock Gallery tends to encourage this sort of diversity, coupling unknown and international artists in the same space. Here, within a matter of minutes, a viewer could take in the precise and glittering stained-glass artworks of Ada Kolmodin and the biting assemblages of infamous Chicago-based stamp artist Michael Hernandez de Luna. Hernandez de Luna’s T is for Terrorist canceled stamp piece was a classic example of his work, subtly layering several subversive statements into one; if only all one-liner, irony-based art were this engaging. Gay Riseborough, new to the Gillock scene, displayed what was probably the deftest figurative work in the show, Mary and Specter, a wonderful and contemplative nude. Consuelo Alonzo made another appearance with her best painting yet titled Mother and Child. Earnest and serious, the work approaches an old subject with a freshness that I have not seen recently. Equally serious, Melissa Ebbe’s massive figurative work Aur the Destroyer played on a distance between Ebbe’s personal epic storyline and the history of mythology. A displaced Shiva, Aur’s gigantic size (she stood taller than her viewers at nearly seven feet in height) and bloodied hands dominated the space. Somewhat similar to Ebbe’s work, Matthew Ballou’s amorphous narratives and allegories delved into mythology and belief systems. His Dispensation, a long horizon-based work, which was situated some 10 feet off the ground, rounded out a gallery full of figurative successes. This show was, without a doubt, the best Gillock has put on since its inception. Gillock has begun to differentiate itself from other spaces via its motivation to give artists freedom while at the same time expecting them to bring a serious level of talent and finish to the table. Also, by choosing to show a certain set of artists consistently, they expose the public to those artists’ process and mindset. Over time, we have seen not only the evolution of a space, but also the evolution of artistic ideas and expression. These are the most important part of Gillock’s contribution to the local scene; with such a start, who knows where the future could lead?
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All content copyright 2003 Consuelo Alonzo Gillock Updated: 11/21/2005 |
