phICA's "Declaring Independence": An Overview
The phICA (Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art) show Declaring Independence focuses on the work of artists both local and from around the world who lack steady commercial gallery representation. This is a phenomenon which has become more prevalent in the art world as more artists are emerging and cultivating interesting bodies of work. In the past, the art world's barriers limited the number of people who could become artists in the first place. Today, becoming an artist is more akin to becoming a rockstar or applying for a place at Harvard University: anyone can try, but only a few will succeed. The pieces in this show focus on theme of the unrepresented artist and how this affects their work and their careers.
The exhibit, hosted by the Eric Fischl Gallery at Phoenix College and curated by Ted G. Decker, features the work of 23 unrepresented artists. Among the pieces featured are paintings, drawings, and a few sculptures. All of the pieces are individually excellent but collectively are somewhat dissonant as each artist has a very different point of view. However, the lack of congruity was appropriate and meaningful for this particular exhibit. The viewers' attention was very much drawn to the fact that all kinds of artists, including those who are exceptionally skilled, work without gallery representation.
Some of the works were individual segments of what had once been a larger show. The piece “Ziggurat With Chipmunk”, by Sue Chenoweth was highly visually striking in its own right but would have had more meaning in its intended context with several other pieces. Originally, the painting was a part of a larger series entitled Sky-hopping Adventures with Sue Chenoweth and The Collection. The show exhibited at SMoCA a few years ago and contained a series of paintings, all featuring chipmunks, arranged to resemble a board game. “Ziggurat With Chipmunk” is a whimsical landscape with the outline of a temple-like structure, a steep mountain topped with a multi-colored campfire and a winding path leading to the summit. In the bottom right hand corner is a chipmunk that is proportionally too large to be part of the landscape but functions as a sort of signature. According to the artist, it represents aspects of nature that though picturesque can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. As a child, Sue Chenoweth went on camping trips in the wilderness with her family. These experiences were very formative for her and contributed to the underlying themes of her art. The chipmunk, though cute and cuddly, could also be rabid, thus symbolizing the underlying wildness of nature.
Chenoweth is a process-oriented painter, meaning that she prefers to start painting and then see what emerges and works from there. She uses a variety of techniques in her work including painting, drawing, and graphic design techniques. Her work frequently utilizes transfers and letrosets, both now outdated graphic design materials. She uses these to create small designs that appear stamped haphazardly throughout the picture plane. The effect is striking as they seem to blend into the scene and are only visible upon close inspection as tiny, fascinating details. The composition is chaotic but in a way that is visually enticing.
I was also intrigued by Michael Marlowe's “Blue Collar Guy, Blue Collar Gal” which was placed between Sue Chenoweth's piece and a series of photographs. From far away, it resembled a piece of well-done decorative art with its background that resembled blue-tinted, varnished wood along with a series of big, bold shapes. Upon closer inspection, these shapes were not the twisted, modified circles that I thought they were. There were clearly penises and breasts folded into these circles in a way that created a subtle sexual undertone that could not be “un-seen” once noticed. I admired how he was able to create an image that was simultaneously simple and suggestive, beautiful and disturbing.
The lack of a common theme between the artists served as a unifying feature for the show . There were conceptual artists displayed alongside representational artists and classically trained artists beside the self-taught. Though this was effective, it was somewhat distracting from the excellent work on display. The show may have better served its purpose if more similar artists were selected so that the viewers could keep their focus on the work of the artists instead of that of the curator.
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