Once Upon a Time
-
Upload
goucher-college -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Once Upon a Time
The Silber GalleryGoucher College Athenaeum
Once Upon a Time…
“�The�purpose�of�
narrative�is�to�
present�us�with�
complexity�and�
ambiguity.”�
���������������������Scott�Turow��
Katelyn GrethNora SturgesPamela Phatsimo SunstrumJames Allen Swainbank
Rochelle AbramowitzLibby BarbeeErin FostelBrent Green
Once Upon a Time…
3
Storytelling has always been intertwined
with various art forms—artists cull
inspiration from scriptures, history,
literature, mythology, current social or
political events, personal experiences, and
their own imagination. Narrative works
depict events unfolding, often compressed
into a single image or object that implies
something has happened or is about to
take place. These stories are powerful tools
with the potential to evoke a multitude of
emotions, allowing an audience to identify
with common experiences or imagine
situations they might never encounter. In
Once Upon a Time…, Rochelle Abramowitz,
Libby Barbee, Erin Fostel, Brent Green,
Katelyn Greth, Nora Sturges, Pamela
Phatsimo Sunstrum, and James Allen
Swainbank unite characters, plots, and
imagery to create a brief escape from the
everyday world.
�� � � –�Laura�Amussen,�curator
4
Rochelle Abramowitz�has�been�making�tiny�things�since�
she�was�a�child;�however,�she�only�recently�rekindled�her�
love�for�all�things�small�and�began�making�miniature�diora-
ma�sculptures.�Her�newest�work�is�inspired�by�music�from�
singer,�songwriter,�and�harpist�Joanna�Newsom.�Abramow-
itz’s�Monkey and Bear�visually�translates�Newsom’s�lyrics,�
and�the�imagery�they�conjure,�into�delicate�scenes.�Monkey
and Bear�tells�the�story�of�a�monkey�and�bear�who�escape�
from�captivity.�Ironically,�the�bear�quickly�finds�that�she�is�
captive�to�the�monkey�and�must�perform�to�appease�the�
monkey,�who�proclaims�his�love.�Playing�with�this�idea�of�
captivity,�Abramowitz�depicts�these�scenes�inside�of�16�
mason�jars.�In�the�final�jar,�the�lid�is�off�and�the�bear,�having�
snuck�away�from�the�monkey,�sheds�her�costume�into�the�
sea.��By�depicting�the�story�in�multiple�dioramas,�like�chap-
ters�from�a�book,�the�fluid�narrative�is�clear,�and�the�viewer�
is�free�to�create�their�own�interpretation.�This�piece�not�
only�captures�the�whimsicality�and�ambiguity�of�Newsom’s�
storytelling,�but�also�depicts�the�weighty�ideas�of�confine-
ment�and�freedom.
Monkey and Bear,�2010
mixed�media
7
Libby Barbee�is�interested�in�the�narratives�that�cultures�
create�to�describe�their�relationship�to�the�natural�world�
and�how�these�narratives�establish�cultural�identity.�In�In
Search of the Myth,�Libby�examines�the�historical�rela-
tionship�between�Americans�and�their�environment�as�it�
is�represented�in�the�American�frontier�myth,�which�has�
served�as�the�primary�creation�myth�for�the�United�States.�
Though�it�has�mutated�over�time,�it�continues�to�be�the�
dominant�narrative�from�which�contemporary�American�
political�attitudes�and�identity�derive�significance.�In�portray-
ing�the�conflict�between�man�and�coyote,�Libby�alludes�to�a�
metaphor�that�describes�the�relationship�between�America�
and�its�most�reviled�enemies.�By�projecting�the�myth�of�the�
Other�and�revealing�the�myth’s�construction,�Libby�ques-
tions�contemporary�American�values�regarding�violence�
and�conflict.��
In Search of the Myth,�2010
mixed-media�installation
8
Gale Force,�2009
charcoal�on�paper
21”�x�52”
As�a�child,�Erin Fostel�spent�hours�in�her�room�writing,�
daydreaming,�and�drawing.�She�created�different�worlds�on�
paper,�and�disappeared�into�them.�It�was�a�time�when�her�
dreams�and�her�reality�were�divided�by�such�a�thin�line�that�
she�sometimes�lost�touch�with�the�present.�Fostel�wishes�
she�had�retained�that�pure,�naïve�imagination.�In�this�series�
of�drawings,�she�creates�narratives�where�the�imagined�
play�has�become�all-consuming,�and�the�audience�wit-
nesses�what�the�characters�have�created.�These�drawings�
are�about�the�spirit�of�imagination,�a�power�so�strong�it�can�
change�your�world.�
10
Brent Green�is�a�filmmaker,�writer,�musician,�
and,�perhaps�above�all�else,�a�storyteller.�
Spun�from�tragedy,�yet�steeped�in�hope,�his�
films�unfold�with�a�building�sense�of�urgen-
cy.�They�begin�as�words�on�a�page,�distilled�
down�to�their�essence,�each�sentence�
forming�an�image,�an�emotion.�Shot�on�his�
farm�in�rural�Pennsylvania�using�stop-motion�
animation,�Green�creates�handmade�ele-
ments�to�accompany�his�narration.�Con-
necting�form�to�content,�Green’s�evocative�
voice�and�musical�selections�heighten�the�
emotional�effect�and�create�a�resonance�
between�otherwise�disparate�images.�His�
prosaic�characters�are�passionate�and�driv-
en�and�tragically�consumed�by�the�world�
around�them—their�circumstances�seem�
odd,�but�also�familiar;�thus,�it�is�easy�to�iden-
tify�and�empathize�with�their�stories.�In�the�
end,�nostalgic�feelings�and�loss�transcend�
to�a�state�of�wonder,�a�thoughtful�reminder�
of�Green’s�idea�that�“there�is�euphoria�all�
around�you—you’re�swimming�in�it.”
Carlin,�2007
stop-motion�animation�still
Little Red Riding Hoof,�2009
mixed�media
13
Katelyn Greth�is�interested�
in�dark�fairy�tales,�surreal-
ism,�and�the�inner�child.�
Drawing�inspiration�from�
childhood�fables,�such�as�
Little�Red�Riding�Hood,�and�
her�subconscious�dream�
state,�she�creates�doll-like�
sculptures�that�are�simulta-
neously�familiar�and�oth-
erworldly.�Sometimes,�her�
characters�appear�as�small�
children�suspended�in�a�lan-
guid�state�of�enchantment.�
Other�times,�she�imbues�her�
characters�with�a�combina-
tion�of�bizarre�humanistic�
and�animalistic�traits,�which�
seem�to�breathe�life�into�
fragmented�memories�
culled�from�nightmares.�
Each�sculpture�depicts�a�
moment�from�a�larger�nar-
rative;�thus,�encouraging�
the�viewer�to�ponder�and�
imagine�the�story�behind�its�
creation.
14
Nora Sturges’�series�of�paintings�was�
inspired�by�the�narrative�structure�and�
subject�matter�of�Italo�Calvino’s�novel�
Invisible Cities,�in�which�a�fictitious�Marco�
Polo�describes�to�the�Kublai�Khan�all�the�
cities�he�has�visited�on�his�travels.�The�
paintings�grew�to�encompass�the�artist’s�
personal�experience�of�travel�and�cultural�
displacement,�as�well�as�ideas�she�took�
from�The Travels of Marco Polo.�Sturges�
explores�xenophobia,�tourism,�exoticism,�
and�cultural�difference�as�Marco�Polo,�
depicted�as�a�wealthy�westerner�and�the�
quintessential�tourist,�is�drawn�to�and�
made�uneasy�by�the�foreignness�of�the�
places�he�visits.�While�each�painting�has�
its�own�narrative,�Sturges�is�most�inter-
ested�in�the�larger�narrative�suggested�by�
the�series:�the�reappearing�Marco�Polo�
becomes�a�sort�of�everyman,�and�viewers�
begin�to�understand�the�good,�the�bad,�
and�the�contradictory�aspects�of�Polo,�and,�
ultimately,�our�own�characters.�
Marco Polo writes in his Journal,�2005
oil�on�panel
10.75”�x�14”
We wanderers,�2008
collage,�glass�beads,�drawing�on�canvas
16”�x�22”
17
Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum�is�interested�
in�how�travel�experiences�can�become�my-
thologies�that�address�the�traces�of�history,�
stories,�and�memories�from�individual�and�
collective�identities.�Her�work�is�often�inter-
disciplinary�and�ranges�from�love�poems�
collaged�from�news�headlines,�to�photo�ani-
mations,�drawings,�performance,�and�sound�
works,�to�installations�composed�of�found�
materials�and�traded�goods.�Sunstrum�was�
born�in�Botswana�and�spent�much�of�her�
childhood�living�in�different�parts�of�Africa�
and�Southeast�Asia.�She�believes�that�as�a�
result�of�her�early�experiences,�she�be-
came�interested�in�how�traveling�can�spur�
our�imaginations�to�invent�myths�out�of�our�
everyday�landscape.�Sunstrum�has�always�
felt�that�she�has�lived�in-between�many�
places,�many�cultures,�many�identities,�and�
believes�this�experience�is�common�within�
the�African�diaspora—that�forced�or�volun-
tary�migrations,�movements�of�laborers,�and�
other�systems�of�globalization�have�created�
complex�transnational�populations.�Her�
recent�work�features�an�alter-ego�named�
Asme�who�becomes�an�entity�that�is�trans-
cultural,�transhistorical,�and�transgeographi-
cal—she�belongs�nowhere�and�everywhere�
all�at�once.�
18
Themes�of�fantasy�and�nostalgia�pervade�
James Allen Swainbank’s�paintings,�
and�he�attempts�to�evoke�the�viewer’s�
memories�of�youth�and�early�imagination�
with�culturally�familiar�icons�and�figures.�
Swainbank�presents�these�themes�in�a�
style�and�handling�from�centuries�past—the�
work�directly�and�indirectly�borrows�from�
early-�and�high-Renaissance�painting�of�the�
northern�and�Italian�traditions,�as�well�as�
mimics�the�techniques�of�the�old�masters.�
But�despite�the�art-historical�context�in�
which�Swainbank’s�narratives�are�created�
and�staged,�the�characters�and�issues�are�
wholly�contemporary.
Nights Revel,�2009
oil�on�panel
5.5”�x�7”
11
37
9-J
29
6 0
3/1
1
DiREcTiONS
Baltimore�Beltway,�I-695,�to�exit�27A.�Make�first�left�onto�campus.
GALLERy HOURS
11�a.m.�to�4�p.m.�Tuesday�–�Sunday.410.337.6477
The�Silber�Gallery�is�free�and�open�to�the�public.
The�Silber�Gallery�program�is�funded�with�the��assistance�of�grants�from�the�Maryland�State��Arts�Council,�an�agency�funded�by�the�state��of�Maryland�and�the�NEA,�and�the�Baltimore��County�Commission�on�the�Arts�and�Sciences.
www.goucher.edu/silbergallery
The Silber GalleryGoucher College Athenaeum
April 5 – May 8, 2011
ARTISTS’ REcEPTION
Thursday, April 7, 2011, 6-8 p.m.
Katelyn GrethNora SturgesPamela Phatsimo SunstrumJames Allen Swainbank
Rochelle AbramowitzLibby BarbeeErin FostelBrent Green
Once Upon a Time…