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ART REVIEW
In MELISSA LINK
BLACK & WHITE ALL OVER
Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation's
SOUTHWORKS '98 Juried Art
Exhibition, OCAF Center, 1902 School
St., downtown Watkinsville
For the third year in a row, OCAF has
brought in work from all over the country
for their annual Juried Fjchibition The show
features work from artists near and far and is
especially strong in its inclusion of many
magnificent craft pieces and several out
standing photos.
Robert D. Clements' sculpture “Four
Figures" was awarded Best in Show and
assorted merit awards went to pieces by
June Johnston. Robert Nix. Troy Criswell.
Rosemary Mendecino, Charles Medlin /
Louise Norrell, and Russell Everett.
Of the nearly 500 artworks submitted,
jurors John Lawrence. Director of LaGrange
College's Lamar Dodd School of Art. ahd
Keith Rasmussen. Director of the
Chatahoochee Valley
Art Museum, chose
60 artworks to exhib
it. Retired UGA art
professor Frank
Ruzicka made nine
awards.
However, some of
the most outstand
ing pieces were not
granted awards —
Pattiy Torno’s fabu
lously mesmerizing
black and white
quilts. Meticulously
crafted in perfect
pin-prick stitches,
these two pieces lit
erally send a buzz
through the entire
room. Torno’s color
choice, or rather
lack thereof, lends
an op-art twist to an
age-old craft and the fabric selection, which
includes everything from the standard
plaids, stripes, and polka-dots to patterns of
tiny ants and elephants.
Other personal favorites overlooked by
the judges include several photos. I swear
I’m no sucker for cutesy puppy pictures, but
Lisa M. Robinson's “Ona" tugged at more
than my heartstrings. This image of a thirsty
Dalmatian reflected in the mirror surface of a
stove door is a minimally-colored medley of
oddly coherent patterns In a perfect compo
sition which succeeds in elevating this
everyday scene to a level beyond the acci
dental
Keeping with the animal theme. Brian
Ross' “Healing" magically captures an other
worldly moment between a young woman
and her bovine companion — a sort of post
feminist. earth goddess Europa and the Bull
in a stormy landsca|>e of ominous possibili
ties Erin Hudgins “Beach Feet" is a funny lit
tle photo with a rather surrealist vibe to it. a
vibe that tricks you in to a closer inspection,
which refreshingly reveals that what you see
is what you get.
3-D is definitely the strong point of this
show, and believe it or not. I applaud the
judges on their selections. Rosemary
Mendecino’s “Amulet" is yet another exam
ple of the magnificent vision of this Athens
native, while Charles Medlin and Louse
Norrell’s cabinet is a perfectly crafted col
laboration. Russell Everett's “Flower Top"
soapstone bowl is
certainly beautiful,
but it was his other
entry (simply called
“Bowl") that really
struck me as out
standing Other 3-D
works getting my
nod include Charles
Pinkney's “Lifeboat."
a fantastical metal
box on legs pierced
fetish-style all over
with little pins;
Sheila* Giddens'
hand-built and
bejeweled, raku-fired
ceramic “Byzantine
Pitcher." and Joshua
Jordan's "Burial of
Traditions." one of
the too-few concep
tual pieces in the
show.
Despite the sheer variety of artists,
media, themes, and styles in this exhibit, it is
surprisingly cohesive in its rather mimimal-
ist and black-and-white tone. The handful of
pieces that incorporate color mostly tend
towards the darker and cooler end of the
spectrum, an interesting insight into the
jurors’ preferences. The SOUTHWORKS '98
Arts Festival goes on all weekend on the
OCAF Center grounds and includes an artists
market, food, kids’ stuff, music, and fun for
all. See OUT THERE' for a list of bands. ©
A quilt by Pattiy Torno
• The deadline for AthFest, the
Athens Music and Arts Festival
Artist Market, has been extended to
May 3o. Applications can be obtained
at the Flagpole office and the Lyndon
House Gallery at the Morton Theater, or
through the AthFest website at
www athtest com. or call 742-5734
• SOUTHWORKS ’98. Oconee
Cultural Arts Foundation's annual Arts
Festival is this weekend. May 23-24.
featuring art for sale. food, kidstuff.
music and more See OUT THERE' for
details
• The closing reception for '...to dis
place a dimension.' the BFA Photo
Exit Show, will be held on Thursday.
May 21. Irom 7-9 p.m. at UGA’s
Lamar Dodd School of Art
Photographers featured include Gavin
Averlll, Danielle Meride, Alecla
Ordoyne, Nikki Schiwal, Ashley
Bergeron, Jennifer Middleton,
Laura Reynolds, and Todd
Stockham
• Shows around town Artwork by
local rocker and ex Flagpole cartoonist
Jack Logan is up at the Tate
Student Center Gallery through
June 5. Pattiy Tomo's fabulous photo
piecmgs are at Five Star Day Caf6.
Mlscho McKay s watercolors hang at
Strand Hair and Art in Five Points;
work by Matthew Lusk is at the
Grit; Pam Pecchlo and Jason
Thrasher have photos up at Blue
Sky; the 24th Annual Lyndon
House Arts Center Juried
Exhibition is up m the lobby of the
Morton Theater. 'Inventing Ghosts.*
a sculptural and spatial investigation
by Joseph B. Thompson is at the
Thompson Gallery on Thomas St.
and “A Southern Gentleman's
Vision of Design." an exhibit honor
ing Athenian the late John Linley is
up at the School of Environmental
Design through May 30
• Watson Springs Pottery, rust out
side Watkinsville, is having a Spring
Sale ot work by Carey Macdonald
and Liz Lurie May 23-24 Irom 9-5
p.m. Call 769-1768 lor directions
ARTS FESTIVAL
May 23 and 24
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Watkinsville, GA.
n C6L6BRRTION Of THE RRTS
Juried Art Market
Juried Art exhibition
Gourmet Foods
Guadalahara Bond
Mark Cooper Smith
OCAF Artists Booth
The B.T.U.'s
• Music - Local Bonds
• Mariachi Bond
• Steve Dancz - Jazz
• Rosa Thurmond
• The UUarblers
• Free Admission
• Ample Parking
Atbras Rally N (IDS
ATHENS BANNER-HERALD
Suhuitxmmmm
ijour local news source
OCAF
School Street, Watkinsville
(706) 769-4565
http://ocaf.on.athens.net
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MAY 20, 1998 FBJfMSiPOLE B