About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2011)
SPIN THE The combination of suspense and dread conjured by memo ries of playing "spin the bottle" is not exactly what you feel walking into an art exhibition (at least not most of the time). Eight printmakers now with work at Flicker invite you to give them a spin and, whether it is a lingering lip-lock or quick kiss (metaphorically speaking), they are sure to give you more than seven minutes in heaven. Pulling this party together, Eric Simmons asked a few of his friends and favorite artists to participate in the show. This week's cover artist Taylor Williams' artwork prompted the title of the exhibition. Seen in person, the image of suburban rumpus-room horror inspires a feeling of awkwardness that is just exquisite. On the collaborative ethos shared by his fellow printmak ers, Simmons says, "There are stages in the various processes that invite all sorts of opportunities for cooperation, be they person-to-person or even with yourself. With printmaking, I've often found that the sum of various projects can come together to make something much greater than the parts." His triptych on display bears out an ongoing interest in retelling stories, such as those from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Here, a tubby businessman with horns dances a jig through Hades in the three panels, smote with a glowing fire ball in the final scene by a bouffant-wearing angel. Yes, it is as fantastic as it sounds. Jon Swindler also touts the communal aspect of printmak ing and, as a member of the printmaking and book arts faculty at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, he has something to do with fostering that sense of camaraderie. For this show, he has some very new work on display. Working with Dayton, OH artist Nick Satinover, the two have collaborated for six months on digitally aided long-distance artwork. The images at Ricker are preparatory elements for larger works which will be completed this summer. In one large print, a "Venus of WillendorT-like figure fills the picture plane against an abstracted landscape as sperm swim in the background. BOTTLE Andy Burkitt creates open-ended narratives which invite the viewer to collaborate in making up stories to explain what is going on in the frame. He says, "I am doing something right when people tell me what my work is about without me speak ing... there is this really incredible potential for someone to know more about my work than I do." His new work replaces human figures with objects—mostly cast-off junk—opening lines for new stories. "Pyre" presents a discarded stove on top of a heap of wood with a toaster nearby, also awaiting destruction. It is somehow heartbreaking to see these familiar domestic objects tossed outside of the warmth of hearth and home (and I feel sure Lemonheads fans will back me up on this). The layering process of printmaking is made explicit in Grace Zuniga's artwork. Her prints combine several different media and processes with a high degree of tactile work ing over to create the finished piece. I asked if her method functioned as a kind of alchemi cal process for her: "For the series 'Honey and Rice,' creating the image was a ritualistic prac tice for me. I began with slathering honey all over my back, rolling in... seeds, salt, straight pins, etc., and sometimes projecting an added texture on my body. In this way, I am literally adding to my body to create the image," she says. Zuniga's background in photography also adds to her artwork, as she combines the media to create a print that is highly textured and buckling with evidence of the process. I am reminded of a line from a Jeanette Winterson novel: "Written on the body is a secret code only visible in certain lights: the accumulations of a lifetime gather there." Zuniga offers this image of her own body as palimpsest, a secret language that we may attempt to crack. Danielle Peters uses layers in a differ ent way. Piercing tissue-thin paper with pins to hang each piece on top of the other, she creates three-dimensionality and a sense of movement in her work. Prints from the "Orifices and Apparitions" series are on view here. Phil Jasen presents his etchings using the intaglio method. In one, a huge angry cat appears to be printed with Japanese-style tattooing. Another print shows two panels with scenes from the Biblical tale of David and Goliath. The black ink washed over both gives an antique quality and obscures some of the details. Look closely to see lots of hidden images and clues to the narrative content. A spirit of generosity in approaching art making is part of the social aspect of print making, especially in terms of the multiples generated in the process. Multiple copies aid in broader distribution, leading to wider audiences and interpretations. Given the variation in methods and experimentation these artists employ, all are united in the spirit of participating in a "democratic medium" and ask us to join them. As Burkitt says, "Printmaking is the underdog... the Rocky Balboa of art. I feel like this also con tributes to a kind of gang mentality among the printmakers." Join the gang and check out "Spin the Bottle" at Flicker, on view through May. All Decked Out: Make your mark downtown in a BIG way. The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission has issued a call to local artists for designs for metal panels and fabric banners to be installed on the exterior of the new parking deck currently under construction at Washington, Lumpkin and Clayton streets in downtown Athens. Artists or design teams residing in Athens-Clarke and surrounding counties (Oconee, Jackson, Oglethorpe, Madison) are eligible. Proposals are due by Monday, May 23. See www.tinyurt.com/athensdeckedout for details. Caroline Barratt arts@flagpoie.com Grace Zuniga's prints are part of the group show on display at Ricker through May. • 'N Athens’ Only Exclusively AVEDA Salon ^187 N. Lumpkin Street • 706-546-7598J FISH BURRITOS * SMOOTHIES * PERUVIAN TAMALES 1427 S. Lumpkin St. • 706-227-9979 une Ga. (706)369-9424 ^mock^eastrqf^thc arch. Above SidewaysJBar! EARTH-FRIENDLY • WATER-WISE ORGANIC GARDENING fl SOME GROW as) a{ho b by, WEiPoTiTg FOR A living! ra HYDROPONICS GEE? 2011 Open Pollinated Heirloom Organic Seeds Earthboxes and Earthbox stackable planters Propagation lighting for seeds Heatmats and thermostats for seed starting Organic fertilizers and amendments for gardens Composters and wormbins Hobby greenhouses and accessories www.FloraHydroponics.com • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Now Open in Atlanta! 1239 Fowler St. 404-532-0001 Athens • 195 Paradise Blvd. Behind Terrapin Brewery 706-353-2223 MAY 11, 2011 FLAGP0LE.C0M 9 VEGGIE CUBANOS • TOSTONES * EMPANADAS
