Art Gallery in Little Rock, AR
In art, the motivation to do does not occur without first being
inspired, but in order for one to be inspired, they must first be given the
opportunity to see.
My experience in visiting an art gallery in Little Rock was not only an
experimentation of observation, but an opportunity to engage not just cool art,
but also a community’s collaboration of expression. The art gallery exhibited
what appeared to be artists work from around the community, in which was an
inspiring affirmation to me as an artist because it was an opportunity to
witness a real and functioning modern corporate appreciation of the arts that I
had never been exposed to before. The gallery’s choice of art being displayed
as well as its’ presentation and layout, showed that it was not hesitant in
exposing its identity as one of modern and eclectic taste that derived ideas,
style, and taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. Being that the
majority of community art galleries I had experienced before were more anchored
on a traditional flare with portrait paintings and the like, the style of this
gallery and the art it displayed was modern and innovative, which was the
driving force behind why I was so encouraged. Exhibiting various mediums from
metal work to repurposed materials, as well as a great selection of work in
oils and acrylics on wood panel and canvas, plus jewelry, and even artsy
home/office decor items, and all at affordable prices- this gallery won my
heart. The gallery was very welcoming to the public because spectators could
enjoy the art without an obsessive stalker gallery keeper breathing down their
necks trying to explain/ sell the art to them, which in my opinion, made for a
comfortable inviting environment, but not at the expense of the art. Located in
a town square in Little Rock, this gallery, unlike many, was not abandoned to
the town’s downtown and past-time, but was very relevant, gracing the same
sidewalk as the town’s starbucks, perfectly positioned within a great line up
of artists specializing in fashion, knitting, photography, and culinary arts.
I gleaned inspiration from the
supportive artistic community surrounding the gallery, but even more I was
enamored by all the compelling art within the gallery.
Of the many works of art in the exhibit,
my favorite was Beverly Mclarty’s “Jericho,” a mixed media piece on canvas.
Having never worked with oils, I have developed a fascination with the textures
and effects that oils can produce, especially when fused with different
materials. Though appearing abstract, the combination of mediums eloquently communicate the
works’ title : Jericho, a rare happening. In other words, I
felt the materials, color scheme, and composition best expressed the feeling
and ideal of what my mind registers the word Jericho
to aesthetically indicate.
I enjoyed Jericho for both its expression and its
execution. What I find unique in this piece is its’ ability to translate the
emotion and idea of its’ title within an image without having to compromise an
aesthetically pleasing and unconstrained technique and use of materials. I am
usually drawn to art that experiments with unique materials in collage methods
and values composition and contrast. I also enjoy neutral color schemes in
combination with heavy mixed media collage because it exposes the true depth of
the texture occurring on the canvas. Jericho encompasses all these components and
this is why I like the work.
The appearance of continual marking in
different stages over time and built up materials in layers characterize the
pervading tone of Jericho. With dinged faded layers exposed
through newer brighter textures, smears of plaster, and washed out residues,
the mood of this piece communicates distress. Depth and history of happenings
are evidenced through broken lines, worn out and re-emphasized textures,
neutral washes, and randomly stressed complementary colors that accidentally
frame the composition.
Without
an accessible title, the work’s objective is abstract. With a background and
education in Biblical Studies, a title like Jericho
triggers a biblical reference in my mind in which I see the destruction of
walls within a city and historic struggles among a people and through those
images I understand the distress the piece conveys because thats how my mind
makes sense of it, but the artist may not be expressing that idea at all.
Therefore, though the artist may not have intended to express these ideas, in
this moment this meaning is what I gleaned from it.
There are a few things I find this piece
expressing biblically, but one that sincerely catches my attention is the
juxtaposition between the reality of the content I glean from the work and how
I enjoy it. After concluding that the substance of this piece is conveying Jericho through a biblical worldview, I find it
interesting how I am attracted to the piece aesthetically yet the distress of
biblical Jericho is not something thought to be
beautiful, but rather one would be inclined to think it distressing. Therefore,
its in this juxtaposition that I noticed a Biblical truth. The contrast between
the enjoyable effect this piece has on one to draw them in and the actual
reality of how in present day this type of distress could not be considered
beautiful unless one was demented, thus the truth is a declaration of redemption-
taking something that without redeemed vision can only be seen as ugly and
sorrowful, yet this piece expresses it abstractly but it is beautiful. Only the
redeemed have the eyes to see its beauty for what it really is, for just as the
one who has been rescued from sin can look at the bloody cross and see beauty,
so can they also look at the distress in Jericho and see beauty- for both images reflect
the power, purpose, and plan of God and cause the believer to contemplate these
truths. The truth is that God’s plan is beautiful yet it never seems that way.
Only in light of knowing Him can any happening in its most tragic form be
beautiful, because the beauty is in knowing that even in this, God makes good. Jericho confirms this message- God is good, and
despite the distress, now we can see and have hope for the future that God is
good.
In
art, the one who is given the opportunity to
see is the one who will
truly do, aka: create, for anyone can make something, but it is only the one who has truly seen that has the ability to truly create. Having the opportunity to not just
critique visual art, but to experience Jericho, as well as the gallery that exhibited
it and the community that surrounded it, inspired me to truly create. But more than a desire to simply make
things, this experience has instilled in me rather a new found awareness of the
obligation to respond to what I truly see. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in visiting this art
gallery in Little Rock and hope to return again soon.
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| Jericho Mixed Media on Canvas |
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