Struggle and Triumph
Curated by Slade Stumbo, featuring the work of
Joyce Garner, Mark Priest & Jordan Lance Morgan
Reviewed by Kaylyn Taylor.
Entire contents are
copyright © 2013, Kaylyn Taylor. All rights reserved.
Since September of 2013, the Louisville
Visual Arts Association (LVAA), the Louisville Commission on Public Art and the
Mayor’s office have collaborated to present the Metro Hall Rotunda Art Project.
This “rotating series of art exhibits, each one curated by local artists…is
specifically for the public spaces of Metro Hall” and is “one of several
efforts to make Metro Hall a true gathering place for the community.” (Curtis Tate, WAVE3.com) "Struggle and Triumph,” curated by Slade Stumbo, features
the paintings of local artists Joyce Garner, Mark Priest and Jordan Lance
Morgan. It is the third exhibition of the Metro Hall Rotunda Art Project and
will be on display through November 1, 2013.
 |
| Joyce Garner, Local Politics, 2013. |
On the first floor of Metro Hall, Garner’s brightly
colored works from her extensive series “The Election” are displayed. Six of
her seven canvases selected for this exhibit are carnival and circus themed.
The canvases, ranging in size from 30”X36” to 84”x54”, are filled from edge to
edge with color and images, creating a flattened, busy space. The figures are
curvilinear loose images that float in the picture plane. The colors and forms
suggest Peter Max meets Chagall and Picasso, creating a fantastic explosion of
information, mirroring the overwhelming glut of information that floods daily
life during election season.
With an almost neon color palette, and the
iconography of carnivals and circuses, Garner conveys the frenetic, intense
energy of our country’s election process from the primary elections,
represented by a carousel, to the final election results, as seen in “Sittin’
Pretty.” The carousel is an effective commentary on the cyclical and showy
aspects of the election process. As in circuses and carnivals, the candidates
perform crowd-pleasing acrobatics composed of promises and offer elixirs to
cure our societal ills. “Belly Flop” reminds that sometimes there are failures,
and they are fantastic when magnified by the media. The canvas “Sittin’ Pretty”
shows a single carousel horse with its rider perched atop a sphere of fruit
galore: the Victor. Out of the chaos and frenzy one endures to the end.
Garner’s canvas “Local Politics” is an array of Louisville landmarks and
events, ranging from cardinal birds to the Twin Spires, from the Orchestra to
Louisville’s cityscape. These familiar images are set against a background of
the American flag, reminding that the local and the national are closely knit.
Located at the top of the grand staircase leading
from the second floor rotunda is Mark Priest’s “Drop Him, Catch Him.” This
large canvas (8’x4’7”) depicts the attempted escape of the recaptured runaway
slave Charles Nalle. Nalle is shown hanging precariously from a second story
window of a brick building. The viewer’s perspective is looking down from
slightly above Nalle’s eye level. Below him a crowd gathers, and inside the
room from which he is escaping, authoritative figures dominate the area. The
composition captures the drama of the story. The viewer is on par with Nalle
and his plight. Through the use of exaggerated facial expressions and fluid
lines, the multiple facets of the scene are explained. Clearly the man behind
Nalle intends to capture him. The crowd gathering below is grotesque in its
fascination. The woman in the room behind Nalle is defeated. A lone pigeon tugs
at Nalle’s pant leg, delineating the delicacy of his chances of freedom. The
color palette is earthy but bright, leaving the action clear and dramatic. The
central figure of Nalle is strong but vulnerable. Priest places the viewer
directly in the experience of being oppressed, and we are forced to consider
how that feels.
 |
| Mark Priest, Drop Him, Catch Him, 2013. |
Continuing up the staircases, on either side are
additional Priest paintings. On one side are two paintings from his Harriet
Tubman series: “Leverton Safe-House” and “The Wait.” These are psychological
pieces. In both, the focus is on the upper torso and face of two men and
Harriet Tubman attempting an escape from slavery. Again, the clarity of the
earthy color palette draws the viewer in. There is no lurking in shadows and
skulking about. The intention of these people to escape is evident, yet their
cautious, dubious facial expressions reveal their vulnerability. We are eye
level with these people, and are one of them.
The fourth of Priest’s paintings, “ Bailey’s Escape
on the Choptank,” is also from his Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
series. It depicts the escape of Josiah Baliey from slavery by boat. In this
painting, he and three other figures are navigating rough waters. Josiah is in
the foreground, pointing ahead, while two other figures steer the boat. The
fourth figure dramatically swoons over the boat’s side. The viewer is set a bit
farther back from the action than in Priest’s other works, but the drama holds.
Through the strong use of diagonal composition the energy of the piece is
unbalanced yet purposeful. Priest creates vivid snapshots of action that is
unresolved, thus compelling the narrative forward. We are privy to the humans
involved in dire circumstances, and we are asked, again, to reflect on what
this moment must have been like.
Located on the third floor are a series of six
portraits by Jordan Lance Morgan. Three
of these represent specific members of the armed services: one is a self-
portrait, and the remaining two are of George Washington and Benjamin
Franklin. The historical figures are
rendered in oil on linen, while the rest are oil on panel. Compared to Priest
and Garner, Morgan’s works are small in scale, ranging in size from approximately
12”x18” to 24”X18”. However, the impact of these works is no less.
,+2013.jpg) |
| Jordan Lance Morgan, Portrait of Sargent Major Thomas B. Crump (USMC), 2013. |
Morgan states, “While my paintings reflect a desire for realism, my main
concern is to emphasize the tension between the illusion of volume and the flat
picture
plane...”(http://www.louisvilleky.gov/Mayor/News/2013/7-25-13struggleand+triumphexhibit.htm)
In his portraits of contemporary military personnel
Morgan places superb realist renditions of persons against a flat, image-filled
background. The portrait work effectively brakes the two dimensional plane, and
the viewer is tempted to reach out and touch the figure. Adding to the interest
and sophistication of the renderings is the iconography that surrounds the
figures. Medieval knights, Biblical references, skull and crossbones, and
Freemason’s square and compass lend mysterious clues to the significance of the
individual. These symbols are painted in an illustrative, rather than realist,
manner. The juxtaposition of these two styles speaks to Morgan’s skills and
vision. The figurative work moves beyond the picture plane, not because of the
background, but in spite of it. We are offered realism with its accompanying
story in a single image.
“Martyrdom Of the Master,” oil on panel, again
juxtaposes realism with illustration, to a Francis Bacon kind of effect. The
figure represents the artist as the architect of the Temple of Solomon. The
body of the artist is nude, and essential organs are exposed, while the Temple
is in mid construction. This is a visual puzzle in a surrealist vein, rendered
beautifully.
Morgan’s historical portraits are compositionally
similar to his other pieces. The upper torso and head are the focus of the work
and are rendered realistically. However, while the backgrounds are flat, they
are mostly tonal studies, with just a few Masonic symbols and Roman numerals to
offer clues about the subjects themselves. There is a double entendre, as both
George Washington and Ben Franklin are historical figures and symbols of
America.
As an ensemble, the works of these three artists
relate to each other through the “Struggles and Triumphs” that are being told.
While other areas of the world struggle to establish a thriving democracy,
Garner’s “Election Series” comments upon the struggles and victories inherent
in the process of a vibrant democracy in action. Priest’s compelling exploration
of the human spirit in the face of oppression speaks to individual victories,
as well as the triumph of this country to remain united. Garner’s portraits
offer insights into the founders of this democracy, and stories of individuals
who now protect this hard earned union.
Struggle and Triumph
Joyce Garner, Mark Priest & Jordan Lance Morgan
Through November 1, 2013
Louisville Metro Hall
601 Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment