The Observer, November 16, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 11
Case, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Foundation collaborate on exhibit series
Last Thursday, Brave New World: Confronting the Unpredictable opened in the offices of the Cleveland Foundation in the Hanna Building downtown. This exhibition is the latest in a collaborative series entitled "Showcasing Emerging Artists" between the Cleveland Foundation, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and Case. This show features work by nine CIA students and is curated by a Case masters student in art history, Genny Boccardo.
The Cleveland Foundation is an organization that seeks to improve the community of Greater Cleveland. Collaboration between the three aforementioned institutions allows students to gain real-world experience reluting to their respective professions. The exhibition space is unusual because, unlike an expanse of white walls, it is a corporate office. This gives the students relevant experience since exhibits are often shown in places like governmental offices or hospitals.
According to Boccardo's curator's statement, this exhibit "takes a look at today's spirit, incorporating elements of daily life reflecting our present culture with its advantages and shortcomings." The works in the exhibit show the spirit of uncertainty about the future known to every generation of young artists.
The work of the following CIA students is featured: Mike Abarca, Karl Anderson, Amanda Cates, Carla Fontecchio, Nick Gulan, Alex Katris, Melissa Spainhourd, Darius Steward, and Jessica Wheelock. The works are of various media, including charcoal, pen, colored pencil, oil and acrylic paint, powdered graphite, and video.
Abarca's triptych is composed of three photographs. The artist has manipulated each photo so that only the necessary details remain. Each image is of a man engaged in various activities, each reflecting a particular emotion. Spainhourd's canvas is intriguing. She poured a can of green architectural paint onto her canvas and allowed it to dry, then painted a fossil-like fish engulfing another smaller fish on the green area. "Adding the fossil-like fish in the center creates a relationship between the flat existence of the canvas and the disappearance of certain animal species," writes Spainhourd in her artist's statement.
Steward's paintings are large and colorful. He uses a European style of portraiture to portray an African-American woman and members of the hip-hop culture. His oil canvases exhibit expressive brushwork and boast wonderful details such as the "bling" made of plastic jewels attached to some of the surfaces.
This exhibit highlights a variety of artists working in different mediums and on different subjects. If you are downtown, it is certainly worth the extra effort to locate the Hanna Building (Suite 1300), on Euclid near East 14th Street, and see the work of rising artists from our generation. The exhibit may be viewed on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. The show closes on Feb. 15. See www.clevelandfoundation.org for more information.
