Can(n)on, a group of six local artists including a City College instructor, is true to their name by putting on an explosive exhibit, now open in the Atkinson Gallery now through March 24.
These artists come together as a team and stand apart from the classic tradition of selecting one field of art as a medium.
Concepts determine the nature of their art’s representation, whether in the form of sculpture, painting, installation, printmaking, or even digital work. The exhibit isn’t dominated by any one medium.
“Wow” is a common first word by the observer who enters the gallery and comes into contact with “it couldn’t get any worse or be any better.” This piece is one of the largest in the exhibit, which was wonderfully weaved by City College’s very own Elizabeth Folk.
Folk’s use of silver for the tent hanging above the three mannequins in her mixed media installation was superb in gaining the attention of people coming in, prodding them to explore what the rest of the exhibit has to offer.
As the hook, her piece sets the tone for the rest of the equally intriguing exhibit.
When moving from piece to piece, the observer’s subtle sounds of approval fuse with others’ to form a symphony of “oohs” and “aahs.” The exhibit is set up in a way that observers go between different styles of installation, each time being reinvigorated by the fresh techniques manipulated by these artists.
My personal favorite is the multiple-medium piece by Saul Gray-Hildenbrand that employs sculpting and painting. True to its title, “Disasterscape” features a small house that is surrounded by large amounts of debris.
Gray-Hildenbrand heavily limits the observer’s point of view to that of a helicopter pilot seeing the wreckage from a safe distance, adding some mystique.
“Trophy Shelves,” along with Steve Soria’s other mixed media installation, are the most relatable pieces.
Every person has seen a trophy at one point in his or her life. Whether trophies are a reminder of the show “Toddlers and Tiaras,” or the end of his or her first childhood basketball season, Soria manipulates the observer into a sense of nostalgia. He challenges the idea of the distinct right and wrong ways to go about life.
His hanging trophy seems as if it’s thrown together, but in reality, it represents accomplishing a goal through a non-traditional route. “Trophy Shelves,” however, is neatly placed and follows a pattern.
James Van Arsdale’s installation “A special kind of hell,” alongside the 22 minute long looped video “Metal Boy,” was one of the most enjoyable pieces in the exhibit. Its nature and lighting brought an edge to the show, which binds the exhibit together.
Each work challenges ideas. For example, “it couldn’t get any worse or be any better” explores that moment when things get lost in translation, with a focus on the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The exhibition as a whole was beautifully constructed from the placement of the art to the range of mediums on display.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published February 29, 2012.
