{"id":363,"date":"2019-04-03T14:49:36","date_gmt":"2019-04-03T14:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/?p=363"},"modified":"2019-04-03T21:38:07","modified_gmt":"2019-04-03T21:38:07","slug":"a-surprise-around-every-corner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/2019\/04\/03\/a-surprise-around-every-corner\/","title":{"rendered":"A Surprise Around Every Corner"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sara Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I enter the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery to view the \u201cValdosta National 2019: All-Media Juried Competition\u201d, I feel as if I become enclosed in a trove of artworks that are desperately seeking attention.\u00a0 To varying degrees, the artworks suggest the presence of each artist offering insight into their motivation and intention behind each piece.\u00a0 Some pieces are confusing and chaotic and require more than a just few minutes of interpretation.\u00a0 Other artworks are serene and straightforward, requiring much less than a second thought.\u00a0 There is so much to look at in such a small space.\u00a0 The exhibition was quite enjoyable, however; and, there appears to be something for everyone.<\/p>\n

The gallery itself is pleasant; however, the floor plan and placement of the artworks leave me feeling a bit perplexed.\u00a0 Interesting and pleasant color schemes are evident in places around the gallery.\u00a0 Other places around the gallery seem to be neglected and many artworks have an awkward presence next to its neighboring piece.\u00a0 I found the transition from viewing one piece to the next somewhat disconnected.\u00a0 Perhaps this was the intent, which would certainly add an interesting element to the mixed media event.\u00a0 The floor plan is what I find particularly obtuse.\u00a0 I might even be a little overly obsessed with the little nook in the back of the gallery which feels as if it keeps secrets from us.\u00a0 The idea that this is a good secret or a bad one is up for individual interpretation; but in this case, I felt the nook brought on a sense of welcoming peculiarity.<\/p>\n

Located in the nook is Meg Aubrey\u2019s Ottoman #2.\u00a0 <\/em>It stands out between two pieces which feel as if they are ducking out of sight to allow for Aubrey\u2019s work to tell its story.\u00a0 This assessment of mine is not to impugn the work of the other two artists, but I cannot help but appreciate the placement of these pieces despite being placed in the nook. \u00a0Aubrey\u2019s Ottoman #2<\/em>, for me, is far more thought-inducing than I anticipated upon my first glance at the painting.<\/p>\n

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Meg Aubrey, Ottoman #2<\/em>, Oil on Canvas<\/p>\n

This cute painting is comprised of a bubblegum pink ottoman and a fashionable handbag in joyful blue against a neutral background.\u00a0 The items in Aubrey\u2019s oil painting perhaps suggest the uniformity of a typical suburban lifestyle.\u00a0 In addition, the artist\u2019s use of blue and pink could suggest this may also be a commentary piece about gender roles in society and their frequent misinterpretations.\u00a0 The items in the painting are placed as simply as the items themselves would be in the home.\u00a0 The ottoman and the handbag serve a valuable purpose to their owner.\u00a0 The intentional placement of the items in the painting is interesting compositionally, as well as, subjectively.\u00a0 Although this piece did not place nor receive an honorable mention, the inclusion in this exhibition is quite appropriate as it delivers a diverse rendering of contemporary art.<\/p>\n

In the tune of contemporary art, an example of chaos may be found riddled in the gallery through Richard Pruett\u2019s two pieces, Now Hear Man<\/em> and Blessing<\/em>.\u00a0 Placing third in the exhibition is Pruett\u2019s piece, Now Hear Man<\/em>, which attempts to enlighten me to the appeal of making sense out of chaos.<\/p>\n

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R. Pruett, Now Hear Man<\/em>, Acrylic on Canvas<\/p>\n

It certainly is a goal for most people to make that connection, and what better platform to indulge in that spectacle than tangible art?\u00a0 The two pieces require a few minutes to absorb the intensity of everything that is going on.\u00a0 The colors are not especially vibrant but are bold.\u00a0 The organic and geometric forms overlap each other in a way that made me become awkwardly lost in the artwork.\u00a0 It was quite a peculiar experience.\u00a0 Pruett\u2019s artworks scream havoc in the gallery but add to the balance of diversity on the walls.\u00a0 Even though the two pieces are not placed adjacent to one another, they are clearly related in some way as is evident in the style of the painting and its colors.\u00a0 When I look at Pruett\u2019s artworks, I liken the experience to making scrambled eggs — the beaten eggs no longer resemble the standard image of an egg in its shell.\u00a0 The paintings are challenging to decipher but are certainly interesting and appropriate for this exhibition.<\/p>\n

Easier on the eyes and quite serene are the plein air graphite drawings by Steven Bradbury, Headsprings at Twilight<\/em> and Ichetucknee Head Springs Twilight #6<\/em>.\u00a0 Both drawings earned Bradbury an honorable mention, a truly deserved nod.\u00a0 While these artworks are not large, they are powerful.\u00a0 I am quite familiar with Ichetucknee Springs State Park, as I live adjacent to the area in Columbia County, Florida.\u00a0 The springs are popular among the locals who crave the peaceful scenery of nature and a cool swim in the spring fed river.\u00a0 The trees serve as shade from the sun where one can bathe in the water holes as feisty otters and other wildlife play nearby.\u00a0 At night, the moon lights up some of the pale plants that are invisible during the day.<\/p>\n

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Steven Bradbury, Headsprings at Twilight,\u00a0<\/em>graphite<\/p>\n

In Bradbury\u2019s drawings, I feel like I can experience the smells and sounds of the springs.\u00a0 Bradbury illuminates the scene with a reductive process but does not take away from the adventure that is found within the springs.\u00a0 Ichetucknee springs, to me, is one of the most enjoyable places where one can evade the hustle and economical strain of theme parks.\u00a0 Bradbury captures the peaceful complexity of nature found in Florida\u2019s Ichetucknee springs, which serves as a glimpse into Florida\u2019s beauty that is not found in common tourist areas.\u00a0 Honestly, this is the part of Florida that I love.\u00a0 Bradbury\u2019s drawings are captivating and made me stand for more than a few moments contemplating if the thought process was to make simplicity appear louder than chaos.<\/p>\n

The “Valdosta National 2019: All-Media Juried Competition” was a fun experience with diversity on every wall.\u00a0 The gallery\u2019s peculiar little nook was a surprising little addition which proved to be enjoyable, as well.\u00a0 The exhibition had something for all viewers.\u00a0 Considering how much art as was packed into the gallery, hopefully viewers were intrigued to explore the diverse genres offered by the exhibition.<\/p>\n

\n

Sara Williams is a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at Valdosta State University majoring in Art Education.\u00a0 While focusing on art education, Williams discovered valuable research in the field of art therapy.\u00a0 Graduate school and a career in art education or art therapy is on the horizon.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sara Williams As I enter the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery to view the \u201cValdosta National 2019: All-Media Juried Competition\u201d, I feel as if I become enclosed in a trove of artworks that are desperately seeking attention.\u00a0 To varying degrees, the artworks suggest the presence of each artist offering insight into their motivation and … Continue reading A Surprise Around Every Corner<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":496,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[84,80,25,77,63,82,83,85],"class_list":["post-363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-valdosta_national","tag-84","tag-abstract","tag-art","tag-contemporary","tag-exhibition","tag-minimalism","tag-plein-air","tag-valdosta-national-2019"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/496"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":378,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions\/378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}