By Selena Mondragon
The “Cute and Creepy” exhibition at the Dedo Maranville Gallery was a thrilling show that one would not easily forget. The exhibition was curated by Carrie Ann Baade, and features the work of 7 artists, and the media used ranged from paintings to sculptures. The artists’ works were arranged throughout the gallery, not grouped together, which made for a more interesting and enjoyable experience.
The first thing that I noticed when entering were the two mixed media sculptures that were placed in the center of the gallery. These were sculptures by Kelly Boehmer, and I found them to be grotesque, but extremely interesting and captivating. The grotesque appearance of the sculpture was almost in a way revolting, but the smaller objects hidden within kept me interested and caught my attention. I found myself wanting to look for the objects and parts that were hidden in the masses of dilapidated and roughly stitched together fabric, even when some of the things I discovered were unsettling and creepy. The one that caught my attention most of the two was Pink Garden. This sculpture resembles a tree, but it’s primarily made of pink fabric, which gives it it’s fleshy and grotesque appearance. An elephant shape made of a similar fabric stands next to it, and there is green fabric around the base. The random miscellaneous fabric and objects also added in to the sculpture to give it an unnerving and chaotic feel, and I think Boehmer is trying to convey the negative impacts that humans have when we don’t clean up our trash and help the environment. Overall, I’m very fond of the piece, even if I find it unsettling, and the message I get from this is a matter that should be taken more seriously, and this sculpture is a harsh and blunt way of getting that message across.
On a wall near Pink Garden, a large oil painting was the next thing to catch my attention. The painting is by Carrie Ann Baade, and it is titled Unspeakable. The painting depicts a woman in a long dress holding up the edge of her dress. Under her dress is what appears to be a giant mouth with sharp pointed teeth, and there seems to be a fire on the inside, since you can see an orange, fiery light emitting from inside. This painting is hauntingly creepy, yet still has an odd beauty and elegance to it. The woman’s face is mostly covered by an elaborate, dark headpiece, and even though her mouth is visible, it gives away little emotion. I feel a there’s a somber yet angry vibe to the painting, and it appears that maybe the woman is wanting the monstrous form in her dress to devour something that can’t been seen by the viewer. I loved this painting due to its mysterious yet oddly beautiful appearance, and it is my favorite of Baade’s works on display.
The sculptural works were the most peculiar pieces to me, and Max by Jessica Joslin was one that stood out to me. It was both oddly charming and creepy. It is a sculpture a cat skeleton, and is made primarily from bone and brass, which it rather unique, albeit slightly unsettling. Its endearing blue eyes make a sharp contrast against the white and creepy skull that makes the head of the sculpture, and the bowl-like shape it stands on also adds to the cute and endearing side. Its pose almost leads the viewer to think that it’s ready to play, but the bones and skeletal shape is a harsh reminder that this is just a sculpture, and that it’s not something you’d want to see moving around. This was my favorite of Joslin’s works, and I’m interested in seeing more of her sculptures.
All in all, this exhibition was an interesting and exiting showcase of artwork that definitely lives up to its name. This was a memorable exhibition, and I hope to one day see more work from these phenomenal artists.
Selena Mondragon is currently majoring in art at Valdosta State University, and she is from Adel, Georgia. She is focusing on 3-D modeling and photography, and is planning to pursue a career in either field.