By Alyse Bowman
Visitors who attended the “Valdosta National” saw a bicycle that resembled an antelope, a hyper-realistic colored pencil drawing of a kitten, patterned paper silhouettes, three-dimensional layers of colored cardstock artworks, and an abstract artwork which consisted of cut fabric and string. These were only a few works among the many which were displayed in the “Valdosta National” exhibition which opened on January 21, 2020. The exhibition was located at the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery at Valdosta State University. This was Valdosta State University’s 32nd year hosting the “Valdosta National”. There were 406 individual artists who competed for $1,500 in awards which were announced at the opening reception. The entire list of these awards as well as photographs of the show are located on the VSU Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery Facebook page. A total of 52 works were selected from 50 individual artists from 25 states. This year Didi Dunphy had the honor of judging each artwork. She graduated with an MFA from San Francisco Art Institute. Dunphy is a professor at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at UGA where she teaches contemporary and digital media art classes. Furthermore, Dunphy spends her time as an independent curator in partnership with regional art museums.
Julie Bowland, the director of the gallery, arranged the artwork and contemplated how each piece would complement the other. She decided to add extra wall space to accommodate the large number of artwork. Two sets of free-standing “L” shaped walls were placed in the center of the gallery. These walls created an element of surprise for the visitors who circulated through the gallery. The placement of the walls invited the visitors to walk through the gallery to explore the entire exhibition. Seven sculptures on different sizes of pedestals were arranged throughout the gallery. Although there was limited space in the gallery, Bowland’s presentation was a success.
First place was awarded to Valerie Aranda for her painting titled Caminos/Paths (Pueblito Mosconi). This is a large acrylic painting on canvas, measuring 48 in. x 48 in.. The background is entirely one shade of green, resembling the color of grass. People and animals are dispersed throughout the painting with only a few groupings in the composition. The piece is reminiscent of Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. Both paintings involve subjects who are engaging in their own activities separately in the midst of a crowd of people. A conversation with the artist at the opening revealed that she used materials she had collected over the years within the painting. Close study of the artwork reveals an origami crane, a piece of lacy lingerie, and patches of dried paint from her paint palette to add texture. Her work reflects her own personal Chicana identity and explores social issues. Each person or group appears to live in their own little world, never truly crossing paths with one another. Perhaps the artist wanted to express the need for paths to cross between race, class, gender, religion, and cultural traditions to help the viewers realize the need for them to become one in their community.
There were a few broad themes in this show, such as feminism, surrealism, individualism, culture, and issues within society. One work which really fascinated me not only dealt with issues in society but specifically within the criminal justice system. Ramayana Baba’s ceramic work, titled Conveyor of Justice, consists of four African American men standing on a pink conveyor belt, dressed in civilian clothes. Each of these men enters a green and blue factory machine. The machine has four meters, a large power on/off handle, and a switch with three options. The person in charge of this machine can decide if each individual is sentenced for a plea deal, guilty, or not guilty. The four men exit in tan prison clothes, revealing their determined sentence. The result of this work created wonderful conversations centered around the idea of how one person could be the judge over someone else’s entire life.
Another work which caught my attention was Donny 1 by Laura Melosh. This is a digitally manipulated black and white image with a bright orange background placed in a pink frame. The distorted image either looks like President Trump’s hair or a weird banana. Her artist statement discusses how she takes masks of political figures and distorts them in Photoshop. The artist feels a sense of control in her artwork compared to her feelings of helplessness in the current political system. Perhaps the reason Laura Melosh titled this work Donny 1 was to show disrespect or humor regarding president Donald Trump. I personally disagreed with the choice of framing a dominantly bright orange artwork in a pink frame. A black frame would have complemented the work better. The artist’s goal could have been to cause people to question the pink frame and express her own dislike for Donald Trump all the more.
Many people expressed disappointment at the opening that Timothy Short’s oil painting on canvas titled Night Lights (Mind) did not receive an award. Placed as a centerpiece in the front of the gallery, this realistic oil painting focuses on fragmented moments of one African American woman inside her dark home. She has a mystical glowing tattoo on her arm and appears as if she is going through different portals through an “ordinary door”. The very rich colors of red, brown, yellow, and blue make the painting feel mysterious, dark, and magical. The artist’s statement discusses how his subjects are safe in these dark places from society and violence. In my opinion, this painting continues to force the viewer to study this painted narrative and the character’s surreal moments.
After reviewing the entire show I believe either Night Lights (Mind) by Timothy Short or Conveyor of Justice by Ramayan Baba deserved first place. Both works of art were very detailed, creative, thought-provoking, and addressed current social issues. I thought the “Valdosta National” presented a strong body of contemporary artwork from a variety of artists. The show demonstrated the judge’s interests and her contemporary background as an artist. I may not agree entirely with the judge’s decisions on the awards but I do appreciate the overall body of work the judge selected for this show. The judge not only thought strongly about the works as individuals but also how they would communicate with one another as a whole.
Alyse Bowman is currently a junior at Valdosta State University. She is pursuing her degree in Art Education with plans to become an high school art teacher.