Art Reviews/ The Long Way Around
Topic: Decelerate

Decelerate
December 16, 2005–February 19, 200
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

Decelerate explores the cultural trend of "slowing down" and returning to a somewhat simpler or more attuned state. Expressed in our culture by the growing popularity of the international "slow movement" and other activities and movements (slow cooking, urban revitalization, yoga, knitting, meditation, etc.), this anti-velocity attitude also has an equivalent in the visual arts. Decelerate includes works that are labor and/or time intensive (sometimes handcrafted, sometimes not); that recycle and transform prosaic materials into objects of beauty or wonder; that liberate our assumptions about the materials and processes of making art; and, most importantly, that inspire us to slow down, contemplate, and discover the intangible rewards that art—and life—have to offer. From the very simple to the extremely complex, works by ten artists—Colby Caldwell, Augusto Di Stefano, Jacob El Hanani, Tony Feher, Anne Lindberg, Rei Naito, Sheila Pepe, Michelle Segre, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Yoshihiro Suda—make up the exhibition.
The overall theme of slowing down really resonates in the kind of art that I am currently interested in. This idea of “slowing down” and being able to consume what generally is overlooked. At the same time there is this tangle of tediousness. The amalgamations of the two themes are like Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot. There is this severe and nearly obsessive interest in activities that are regarded as mundane, possibly existential, but in a “get down to the nuts and bolts” of existence kind of way. That’s what makes this exhibit so striking. For example, Tony Feher has taken two liter bottles filled with what maybe orange soda and scattered them around the museum, in places like the rafters, small corners, and from the ceiling with rope. He has in a way deconstructed the notion of institutional display and has asked the spectator to pay attention to the overlooked. He has also linked his work into objects of discard. The bottles themselves maintain no value after they are emptied and are rarely recycled, so there is this “what happens after” element he has also brought to the table. There is this obvious Duchampian ready-made reverberation by using the pop bottles, but I am inclined to also reference pop bottles as part of libations at a party, so I see an entertainment reference in his work and find the juxtaposition of the museum as entertainment and the bottles interesting.
The show was very fluid. Each of the installations was spaced out enough that they did not interfere with one another. The selections of artists were very appropriate and curator captured many aspects in art, Colby Caldwell’s work in particular. His work wasn’t just video, but sound as well. The capturing of sound was amongst one of the greatest elements working for this show. Sound is so often ignored or taken for granted, and even overlapped by visual stimulation. The overall construction of the exhibit allowed for a thorough cultivation of things ignored, whether it space, lack of, sound, soul, or our selves.
Decelerate offered confirmation. I believe in this repetitive, labor intensive, and hand made art. Before the show, I was already a huge Sheila Pepe fan, after the experiencing the show, I feel confident in the work that I do and that it isn’t in vein, there is a place for it, and I am not the only one out there that is feeling this way about art and the world. This show, and work of my own, wants to counteract-yet balance and compliment the rapid nature and growth of society. There is need for attention to the overlooked, the over processed, or even the little things nature has given.

Art Reviews/ The Long Way Around
Topic: Prelude to Grace
Prelude to Grace
Paul Flippen
One night only, April 28, 2006
Tangent Lab

Paul Flippen holds the title for best small works. In Prelude to Grace, Flippen hung an accumulation of his work from the past two years.
Flippens work functions on a very small scale, therefore can show many works at one time. The show had some of his oil works, as well as, his stitched works. His works function on a very intimate level. Because of there size, one has to be fairly close. It is also there that you can see the intricate detail and attention he gives.
Deciding on what of his work I like better, I think of his fable series, in oil, or his stitched work on paper, I get flustered. Each of the series is beautifully rendered. I have to come back to the stitched though. In this series, he sews loops and circles into the parchment/paper, and then paints/draws in household items, like a paint brush for walls, a light switch, and a bulb. The items alone are so carefully done, I find myself just stuck on them, and his attention to detail always amazes me. There is an interesting dichotomy built here though, he has taken tools or hardware and juxtaposed them over the decorative element. The compositions start to talk to me about the function and validity of the decorative, and then somehow defend it. I also start to think about relationships, not only romantic ones, but platonic or organically occurring ones, outside of human space.
I love Paul’s work. His work and him have been a large influence on my own. I am sorry this show could not be up for longer, but I do understand it has a larger venue to travel to.

Art Revies/ The Long Way Around
Topic: Women, Sex, and Art
Women, Sex, and Art: An Exposition
Featuring 5 Female Artists: Amanda Dickson, Kate Johnson, Danielle Kling, Cynthia Martinez, and Meghan Regnier
Firehouse Gallery
February 13, 2006 – February 24, 2006

This show in particular was a huge surprise. It was a varied collection of Wichita State students work. A show curated by Amanda Dickson, it was five different takes on sex and art. Each of the artists were selected from varied genres, photography, installation, painting, fabrics, and mixed mediums.
Amanda Dickson, a senior, again executed some of her best work. Her attention to detail, and color accuracy, proved a success in her mouth collection. Her she represented the mouth in several stages of movement. Each graduated to the next, in what seemed a pleasurable experience, from pursed to a light lick to the lips.
My other favorite in this show was Kate Johnson. She is a recent graduate from Wichita State. Her selected works were abstracted photographs. In her black and whites, she zoomed in close to her subject, which was the juncture of her lower limbs, in various stages of movement. The seemed almost microscopic in print, which involved me more on an analysis, or objectifying level. However, upon discovering exactly what it was she was photographing, and the perspective at which the photos were taken, it became a self analysis, and ownership occurred.
Overall, I thought the show was a huge success. The Firehouse Gallery is usually a bit out of the way to get to, but what a pleasant and busy surprise. The ladies did an excellent job in hanging their work, professionally, and chose work that best represented each of their strengths.

Art Reviews/ The Long Way Around the Blog
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Fighting the Minotaur
Fighting the Minotaur and Other Fables
John Hammer, a Wichita artist and WSU MFA candidate
April 28, 2006
Fisch Haus Studio

Fighting the Minotaur and Other Fables is a body of work that explores an abstracted concept of 'male' in various iconographical conditions and stereotypical landscapes.
I just want to speak about one of his pieces, the Rodeo. I spend a lot of time looking at this piece and praying John will do more. The position of the viewer is so much different than the other in the series. His spectator’s point of view is usually more away or subtracted, like they couldn’t be there. In the Rodeo piece, it’s much different, I actually become part of the crowd and I know I would never attend a rodeo. So in this painting he has the crowd, where we are at, along the left and bottom of the canvas, with the backs towards us, and the cowboy with the bronco in the right upper half, roughly. The cowboys face is cropped out of the picture and he is turned towards the crowd, Johns decision here was an excellent one, because we are not to be interested in his identity. This painting really resonates with Caillebotte for me. John has placed the viewer in the crowd with everyone else, cheering and what not, but the attention of them, as well as us, is on the crotch. There is this homoerotic tension built and at the same time, the viewer has become some sort of voyeur. Caillebotte was a master of this, capturing moments where a man was fully flexed, or even just wondering around, and turning the painter/viewer position into a voyeuristic character. I love that John has done this.
It was nice to see John’s work in circulation finally. I really enjoyed the subject matter and rendering, but I SUPER HOPE HE PAINTS MORE LIKE MY FAV!!!

The Aftermath
Mood:  lucky
So, it's the day after the show and we are still alive. I was doing some reflecting over the project last night while my peers were chatting and I realized the error in my ways. I wanted to make an art object, my department and the scene demands it. Artists want comprable work to their own. What I forgot is that this was an exploration. Shawn and I did that, he took what he knew and I took what I knew and we took a leap of faith together. I'm pleased that it worked as well as it did. I know that there were a few minor glitches with the programming, but he worked super hard on it. Sometimes there are just glitches, and as artists you have to take them and adapt. I think John has learned a lot from this too. He has a great idea and a lot to share with those willing, I do hope he keeps on.

A More Solidified Idea
Mood:  vegas lucky
Topic: Final Project
We are going to be using life span and the developmental model, as it is affected by our environment. These stages will be divided amongst speakers that will be isolated and resonate in certain positions in front of the a projection. The speakers will parallel a similarly divided video clip. The piece will be interactive in a way that the sounds will be paired up with images, however, it will be the job of the viewer to do so.

Topic: Daily dose of blogging..
Class went well today. I understood the PD stuff. I think things will be ok. I still realy like my idea for the class but seems creating an actual object is what they all want. I am not too keen on robots, but if that is what it has to be.

WTF?
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Daily dose of blogging..
There are no works in progress. Surprise. I am trying to get everything up and running as far as the site goes. I am a little worried about how the Sound and Art by Design class will pan out. I am not technology savvy, hence there might be a problem with the grade. Why do I feel like I should end this entry with Stardate.... or some Doogie Houser ending.

Ideas about final projects
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Final Project
Since my current works revolve around the perception of space, I'd like to involve that. A characteristic in my art work is one that usually challenges people's comfort, whether through imagery or testing their senses. I have always found it interesting how those with disablities, how one sense will become stronger. I kind of want in my final project to take away a sense, and with that, will heighten another. Sound will define space and proximity. If anyone is even remotely interested in this or maybe ellaborating on it, get with me. I'd like to start this soon!! Thanks guys.