Collage
is a powerful art form that can turn the ordinary surreal. It can
re-order history, create relationships where none existed, fracture
memory and reshape a fact into a greater truth. Today, many
traditional photo collage techniques can be accomplished with a
computer. Those who like to see the touch of an artist's hand -- and
wit -- will enjoy the warmth and poignancy of Only Human.
Exploration
Explosion is a small work with maps in the far background covered
by a layer of overlapping black and white photos of (mostly) male
heads arranged in a rough cloud. Atop it all, in blazing color, a
woman who is either alarmed or excited wears a glowing space helmet.
Without
no words uttered, the artist tells us a) the early history of female
astronauts at NASA; and/or b) that women have been excluded from
historical accounts of many scientific activities; and/or c) this
girl's riding a rocket while those guys are puffs of smoke down there
on the ground.
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Explorer
Explosion
2015, found paper on wood, 8.5" x 8.5"
Photo:
www.kellymoranart.com
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Bad
girl meets wimpy rat?
In
a form Moran calls cut-outs, she mounts computer-collaged images to
thick wood, applies a coat of clear epoxy, then mounts a group of
wood-backed images to the wall as one work. The images project from
the wall just far enough to create thin shadows. In Do you have
the time?, three black swallows
flit around a girl with a sheep's head, a boy with a rat's head, and
a clock hovering over them. The figures, minus the heads, are
enlarged paper dolls from the 40s or 50s. Both are bedecked with
time-telling devices and found objects held in place by the epoxy
coating.
Their
silent story suggests something different than the nostalgic patina
of a past era. After all, the girl is not just a sheep, she's a black
sheep. Worse, she may be a bad girl. Her two-piece outfit shows a
fair amount of skin. And she's carrying heat, a small pistol that
clings to her short a-line skirt. While the boy may be a rat, his
slender physique suggests he's no match for the girl. However, like
swallows, symbols of hope in many cultures, the sheep and the rat
seem hopeful their encounter will be worth their time.
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Do
you have the time?
2014,
Resin, wood, paper, found objects, 32" H x 36" W
Photo:
d. m. allison gallery
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Most
girls aren't perfect, most dogs are.
Two
perfectly attired girls, one with dark hair, the other blond, are
clearly role models of their era. Their dresses are hemmed to just
above their knees, anklets turned down just so. They grasp their
handbags securely, with confidence. Their dog has the graceful
conformation of an Irish setter. The girls and their dog are mounted
individually to contoured wood. Text covered paper, which may or may
not be about them, covers the thick outlines. The three figures stand
together on a carved wooden tray. On a shelf near them is a box with
a setter silhouette on the lid. Inside, pegs are arranged to hold the
three figures secure in the box.
Like
a well-designed toy, the precise fit of the box and the potential
stories of the figures offer opportunities for play and for
reflection. With this set up, a girl could carry her stories with
her, play quietly when so directed and not be the least bit put out.
And the role models? They could wrestle with the dog, get burrs in
their socks and grass stains on their knees. It would be their
secret.
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Tomboys,
with
detail
Photo:
Joy Mullett
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Modern
romance
Despite
its fairy forest appearance, Love
could be described as a sobering meditation on modern romantic
relationships. While the bear does appear to be interested in the
girl, he's also in a hurry to get somewhere. (Bears have been
included in folklore around the world, including the early 90s
television show, Northern Exposure. In an episode titled Wake
Up Call, Maggie's encounter with a handsome, cave-dwelling man
who may be a bear, leaves her ready to abandon winter and greet
spring.)
The
girl in her cut-on-the-bias dress is not frightened by the running
bear, but she is definitely distracted. Hanging over both of them is
time. In the subdued background, people separated from the main
characters by trees are engaged in everyday activities. Like other
pieces in the exhibit, the main characters extend outward beyond the
background as if escaping the environment they find themselves in.
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Love
2013,
27" H x 24" W
Photo:
d. m. allison gallery
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Second
round
About
three dozen works appear in this exhibit. The
stories I ascribe to the exhibit are mine. Other viewers will likely
have their own. The rich, compelling nature of this exhibit makes
rich and compelling reactions possible.
If
I were to look at this work again, I would look more deeply for
geometric patterns. I would bring a magnifying glass. I would dig
into dense background imagery for hidden messages and construction
techniques. I would figure out a way to describe how the artist
handles scale within each work.
Yes,
it might take some time, but it would be time well spent.
