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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.
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