GYAN SHROSBREE @ Haus Gallery
DECEMBER 18 - JANUARY 10, 2008
This is one of those exhibitions that just begs for review and discussion. Let's just say that this show can be entered into and discussed at two different levels (a lot of that depends on where you are in your art viewing craft and reference points), but if it helps in your viewing, Gyan has an MFA from Cranbrook. I get the rejection of painting, the spoof of and cutesy cynical and comical take on "I'm just girl" and other character sketches including cats in outfits, but this for me is just one of those deals where you really want to meet the artist to get a sense of her thought process. That is if I am giving her more credit than potentially deserved. But also after reading the statement I guess if it boils down to making me laugh and being somewhat curious rather than job well done, because I am definitely more curious than anything else. The works remind me of Stella Vine or even book illustrator Maira Kalman. When it is all said and done, I more happily and comfortably put the show in a category of illustration than conceptual art.
Sidenote: This was a first visit for me to this gallery-in-a-house-that's-not-a-house and I look forward to upcoming shows/openings and tracking the artist-run space.
Sidenote: This was a first visit for me to this gallery-in-a-house-that's-not-a-house and I look forward to upcoming shows/openings and tracking the artist-run space.
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5 comments:
Her work reminds me of the Stuckist which inspired Stella Vine. Give some credit where credit is due. Though I'm not sure how much the credit is worth in this case.
1. so...adobe villa is the new alternative space, interesting. Let me guess, putting pictures in windows and on mantles is the new thing, too.
2. "an MFA from Cranbrook" is this meant to somehow convince me that this is worth looking at seriously?
(to the comment above)
try throwing away the rules and look at them again. as for haus gallery...they are needed because of people like you
Fresh and bold, Gyan's paintings seduce and beguile with their bright colors, bold compositions and playfully naive style. But they are also sly. Their artful naivity is subverted by wit, often provided by the interplay of text with images. Recurring texts provide shrewd commentary on our culture of self-help aphorisms or media-driven desire. The works veer in tone from girlish to devilish and create a rich visual experience that is steeped in cultural savvy.
Yea, I agree with you- it'd be good to get artist insight for a show like this. I never visited this place, I used to live in south Pasadena and work in Old Town but unfortunately I didn't get the chance to see as much of the art scene as I wanted.
-Sara
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