3 minute read
Words & Images
Words &
ARTISTSINTERPRETTHELINES,‘HOWINAWORLDGILTWITHLOVE/MAY
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Story and photo by Andy Coughlan
VISITORSTO THE ART Studiothis year may have noticed two lines of poetry pasted up around the facility. It seems that wherever you turned, it was hard to avoid seeing the lines:
How in a world gilt with love MayIthank you beyond this human cadence.
Ifyou pondered their meaning, ponder no more. TASI’s October exhibition is a group show featuring works by more than 20 artists who chose to accept the challenge to interpret those lines through their own particular media. Theshow opens Oct. 1 with a reception from 7-10 p.m., and runs through Oct. 29.
“Nathan Jones, Kimberly Brown and I were having a discussion during an opening about having a show with the same theme with different artists and observing how they approach the subject matter,” Elizabeth French, TASI administrator, said. “Each interpretation would beasdifferent as each artist. We just thought that would be an interesting show, one that hadn’t been done in a while.
“It’s self-curating, because we just allowed anybody who was willingtomake a piece for the show enter as long as they were members ofTheStudio.”
Once the idea was decided upon, the next thing was to select a theme. Artist and long-time Studio member George Wentz, who died in2009,contributed poetry to the ISSUE’s “Thoughtcrime” poetry page for years. It was decided to choose lines from a poem that could leadtoabroad range of interpretations.
“It wasn’t a literal thing that someone could just do an illustration of,” French said. “It’s thought provoking and I really liked the ‘human cadence’ part.”
French said that being able to relate a piece of artwork to its inspi-
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rational source will be interesting for viewers.
“It’s about knowing what the basis of this art piece is and being able to interact with the artist through the piece — what it means to them,” French said.
Several of the artists will attend the opening and visitors will be able to discuss the works with the artists themselves.
Kailee Viator, an apprentice at The Studio, said she is working on a piece that incorporates flowers. She interpreted the lines to pay tribute tosome of her artistic influences and supporters.
“I’ve been repeating (the lines) to myself a lot, just trying to get an emotion out of it,” she said. “My work features a flower for every artistic influence I have had in my life — a daliah for myPaw Paw, a hibiscus for my mom. There’s a venus flytrap for Greg (Busceme), a gardenia forElizabeth (French). I’m being very sweet and sentimental with it.”
Viator did not know Wentz, but the connection seems to be there. Wentz was a fervent supporter of young artists and also explored a floral theme extensively throughout his career.
Sherry Tiger-Landry knew Wentz and said she really looked forward to creating a piece for the show.
“Ithought it was such a challenge to my brain to interpret what his life and work were like,” she said. “It is a very unique idea to have a show regarding his writing — it was always so profound. His poetry inspired me to paint.”
Herpainting was not finished as of press time.
“It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” she said. “I really have to think about it.”
Photographer Lief Wallace said he drew on his life experiences and projected them forward tothe specific theme. His entry, titled “The Wait,” features a woman in stark black and white contrast.
“We are looking through the shadows at a woman in contemplative thought,” he said. “Is she waiting for someone to arrive? Did they just leave or maybe still there just beyond the darkness?Which of these is correct, I will not venture to say. The observer will know.
“We are looking into a space we may or may not want to traverse.”
Wallace said he was surprised at the challenge working with the lines set for him.
“Working within a set criteria turned out to be a more expansive milieu than I originally envisioned,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing the diverse representations of the interpreted lines of the poem.”
TheArt Studio, Inc. is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.
For information, call 409-838-5393.
