The Observer, December 8, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 13
Case professor curates exhibit of works by Cleveland artist
When most people think of the birthplaces of famous artists, Cleveland is probably not high on the list of likely locations. But that is not to say that Cleveland has never produced any fantastic artists. One such artist is Christopher Pekoc, whose works are being presented at Convivium33 Gallery at Josaphat Arts Hall in a special exhibit called Christopher Pekoc – Evolution 1964-2006. Case Art History professor Henry Adams is the curator of the exhibit, which will run from Dec. 8 to Jan. 21.
Pekocis one of Cleveland's most beloved hometown artists. He painted a Cleveland landmark: Night Sky, the mural in the main wing of the Cleveland Public Library, which is twice the size of Picasso's Guernica.
Pekoc was born in 1941, a second-generation Czech immigrant, and attended school in Shaker Heights. In high school, Pekoc was not a particularly artistic student, only once winning at prize at an art festival for his rendering of a carnival. His work was displayed in New York City as a reward.
Soon after this, Pekoc transferred to an all-boys Catholic high school in the area, and entered a high school architecture competition. He received runner-up for his redesigning of his new high school. After his high school graduation, Pekoc enrolled at Kent State University, expecting to major in architecture. Soon after, he switched his major from the math-intensive architecture to painting. "Somewhat ironically, however, given the title of the major, he never did any painting. Instead, he took some drawing classes as a foundation for painting," Adams said.
After a summer in Europe touring many famous museums, Pekoc began to draw more seriously, and the awards he won began to add up. Many of his earlier drawings were "of an unusual sort," as Adams states in his catalogue that will accompany the exhibit. "In addition to pencil, he applied graphite in liquid form with a brush, creating a visual mixture of drawing and painting – a sort of drawing which combines the gesture of the hand with a ghostly sense of tone, like that of a developing photograph."
Throughout the years, Pekoc's work gradually progressed more and more to abstraction, moving eventually into the world of avant-garde photography. He used many unusual techniques and his photographs became works of art in and of themselves. The Convivium33 exhibit displays 40 years of Pekoc's work, ranging from his early drawings and paintings to his latest photographs, many of a woman named Kathryn, who became his muse of sorts.
One of Pekoc's more provocative works is his Kent State Triptych, called The Events of May 4th 1970 Are Truly Without Precedent. Painted in the aftermath of the infamous Kent State shootings of 1970, the work portrays four scuba divers in a desert who are being stopped by a masked figure who is also pushing aside a man with a microphone. In the background, a figure is running to an overturned car, carrying a gun in his hands.
This piece does not actually reference any event that took place during the shootings; rather, it is Pekoc's response to the tragedy.
Adams is especially intrigued by the work, stating the following in his catalogue: "Nothing about the painting directly reproduces what happened at Kent State, and it's not easy to turn what is happening into a coherent story. Yet at an emotional level, the painting reproduces what it felt like to be at Kent State when the students were shot. Significantly, the power of the painting depends not only on 'story' but on abstract qualities, such as the blackness of the scuba divers and the unsettling tilt of their aqualungs."
Do not miss the opportunity to view this exhibit. Many of these works have not been on display in years, or are making their debuts. It is not often that a local artist has almost his entire career development on display for all to see. Pekoc is a nationally renowned artist, with works on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others, and we are only too privileged to have his life's works on display.
Convivium33 is located at 1433 East 33rd Street, and daily appointments to view the gallery can be made by calling 216-881-7838. Christopher Pekoc – Evolution 1964-2006 will be on display from Dec. 8 until Jan. 21, and if you have time before you leave for home or if you return early for the spring semester, make a point of stopping in. Viewing Pekoc's work promises to be an enlightening and provocative experience.
