The Art of Art at GMOA
originally published October 25, 2006
"It's Not What You Think It Is" by Art Rosenbaum
Weaving His Art On Golden Looms: A spectacular retrospective of works by Art Rosenbaum, a professor in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at UGA, is currently on display at the Georgia Museum of Art (GMOA). Curator Dennis Harper has selected over 50 paintings from the collections of museums, collectors and the artist’s own collection, to create a cohesive display of Rosenbaum’s 50-year career as an artist and art instructor. The work selected for the exhibit includes pieces completed when the artist was a high school student, as well as the latest paintings from his studio. A few drawings represent Rosenbaum’s interest in that medium. Physical smearing of paint is an abstract quality seen over and over again in these works. Rosenbaum uses paint like an abstract expressionist, often beginning with a random object as inspiration.
The treads on the shoe of local recording artist Andy LeMaster inspired Rosenbaum to create “Hurricane Season…” which depicts LeMaster working a soundboard while a group of folk musicians play. The actual scene did not take place; Rosenbaum combined elements from separate narratives to create a compelling composition. This combining of information is seen in most of Rosenbaum’s paintings. For instance, in “Georgia Morning,” one of the first paintings completed after Rosenbaum’s move to Athens in 1976, a couple of lovers are juxtaposed with complex public scenes through windows. This painting from his early time in Georgia uses windows as separate compositions. Curator Harper describes Rosenbaum’s imagery in this painting as “dark, crowded and fertile” which evokes a “Southern Gothic Feel.” This is one of the many paintings, which deal with couples or lovers being depicted in a public arena rather than in traditional intimate or bedroom settings. “Panama City” even combines a nude couple with dinosaur statues.
Only one of these paintings is from the GMOA permanent collection; one is from the Morris Museum in Augusta, another is from the New Orleans Museum of Art, and one piece, “Athens/Northeast Georgia Olympics Spectrum” is owned by the Atlanta History Museum, on loan to the Classic Center. “Athens/Northeast Georgia Olympics Spectrum” was completed in correlation with the Olympic Games in Atlanta. It features recognizable Athens icons like Michael Stipe, Jim Herbert, the Iron Horse, the UGA football team, and more. Harper describes this painting as one of the few that followed a distinct prescribed script.
The other paintings in the exhibit allow for more push and pull with the paint, and the amount of detail retained in such a process is surprising, according to Harper. Most paintings involve people Rosenbaum knows, such as friends, students, musicians or artists, and may begin with an actual occurrence. But the canvases on display have a definite departure from any strictly realistic representation. Narrative beginnings allow for abstract complexities, with fantastic color and layering of time and events. Howard Finster even makes an appearance in Rosenbaum’s paintings. In the painting titled "'I Am a Stranger on My Way.’ Howard Finster of Pennville,” Finster is holding a painting (which Rosenbaum reproduces with great accuracy) of Albert Einstein. In the background of Finster’s painting is a flood scene. This flood scene in turn inspired musician Rakestraw to tell Rosenbaum about a dream he had involving a flood and a guitar. Rosenbaum created another painting from the story about Rakestraw’s dream. One of Rosenbaum’s most recent paintings, “It’s Not What You Think It Is” includes a reproduction of a folk artist’s painting. The original artist, Bonnie Loggins, was referring to the mill in the painting; but Rosenbaum saw a reference to the Magritte painting, which declares, under the image of a pipe, “This is not a pipe.” “Weaving His Art on Golden Looms: Paintings and Drawings by Art Rosenbaum” will be on display at GMOA until Jan. 7, 2007. There will be an opening reception on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. See more at www.uga.edu/gamuseum. A show of drawings and paintings by Art Rosenbaum will also be on display at Mercury Artworks from mid-Nov. to January of 2007.
More at GMOA: Jay Robinson also has work up at the Georgia Museum of Art until Jan. 7, 2007. During the late 1940s, Robinson frequented nightclubs to watch jazz musicians play; many preliminary sketches were made on ticket stubs. The artist uses gold leaf in his later more sculptural works, which were inspired by Harry Bertoia, a sculptor and professor at Cranbrook Academy of Fine Arts, where Robinson studied painting. “Nile Bits,” an abstract work from 1965, uses fired enamel and copper inlaid on board to create rich hues of turquoise, red and purple, surrounded by a milky-white background. “Basongo Drummer” is created from metal and enamel, incorporating metal nails as a design element and technical necessity. These pieces are inspired from Robinson’s time in Africa, which was very influential in his development as an artist. This exhibit has been selected by curator Paul Manoguerra from a large collection of works from the Schoen Collection on loan to GMOA.
Troy and Athens: Pamela Allen, Larry Percy and Greg Skaggs, three professors from Troy University in Troy, AL, have work on display at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation until Nov. 19. Allen, a printmaking instructor at Troy, and Larry Percy, have an exhibit titled “Journeys” on display in the main gallery. Allen includes encaustic paintings, collage with tons of interesting elements like stickers, playing cards and buttons. The shadow box-style painting with black border frames really makes the paintings pop out and adds a lot to the overall look of things. Landscapes or dreamscapes show a horizon with trees and an expansive sky. The ground in her paintings is typically full of design elements and collaged elements. “Heaven on Earth” is an encaustic piece, in which Allen has carved intricate designs into the wax, designs in the shape of leaves, lace and circles. Layers of wax obscure another detailed painting. Light plays a major role in these paintings, with sun shining on treetops, particularly in one titled “Seashells.”
The repeated graph-like look created with circles, playing cards or flag shapes is more obvious from a distance. Animal images like in “Dead Frog” vary from a photocopied image of a frog skeleton to an armadillo picture in “Target.” “Child’s Play” has tiny repeated Old Maid cards, gold numbers, teacups, green florescent smiley faces, gold stars and sea shells, all embedded in the area seen as the ground of a landscape. Percy’s work is inspired by childhood visits to a cabin in the mountains of New Mexico. His ceramic sculptural vessels feel like mountains. They rise up from their pedestals, defiantly eluding gravity. “Horizon II” is a group of ceramic sculptures resting on a table covered in a topographical map. “Offering Vessel XII” is less directly referencing a mountain; three triangular pieces of rock resembling clay delicately balance a shallow earth-colored bowl with a brilliant blue rim. Another piece by Perry, titled “Horizons III/ Communion at Cathedral Rock,” actually holds wine. The evaporated portion has left a red ring on white porcelain that repeats some of the glazing in the artworks. Greg Skaggs has an exhibit of movable tangrams, titled "Tangrams Series #1," on display in the Members Gallery. This work invites the viewer to participate by creating individual designs out of the provided shapes. The artists will be available for Gallery Talks during the closing reception on Nov. 19. Visit www.ocaf.com or call 706-769-4565 for more info.
Oooh, Spooky: Joe Havasy, Matt Blanks, Mike Groves, Radar, Miss Billie Brown, Chris Parry and Sydney Greg have a group Halloween show at Walker's Coffee & Pub on College Square up through the end of the month. Blanks has a flair for detailed areas, using patterns to create interest in an otherwise simple composition. His “Mummy” and “Frank Baby” are appropriate for the Halloween show. See more at www.mattblanksart.com. Mike Groves, Radar, Miss Billie Brown and Chris Parry all work at Pain and Wonder Tattoo. Mike Groves has drawn monster images over photographs. “Orgasmatron” is a photo of a person with a rope around her neck, with a drawing over it. “Harvest Festival” is a photo with a drawing of a monster eating a pumpkin. Sydney Gregg is a six-year-old whose drawings titled “Undead Family Portrait” and “Vampire Dude” are adequately scary. Joe Havasy, whose comics regularly appear in the Flagpole, has several works on display, including “Poultry Geist” and “Were Weiner,” a hot dog gone crazy with the full moon. See more of Joe's work at www.joehavasyillustration.com. The show will run through Oct. 31.
Works Informed by Acquired Monocular Vision: Jonathan Jacquet will have paintings on display at the Tate Center Gallery from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20. There will be an opening reception on Nov. 4, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Jonathan Jacquet also happens to be my husband.)
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