Sunday, December 7, 2008

UD Visual Journal Show: "Dayton Is..."

520 E. Third, in the same space the Urban Handmade people are using. Its' a short run, so get down there! Open till 9 PM on weekdays though Dec 13. (Open to 6 PM on Dec 13)




This was a student show, a product of a class at UD. From the flyer available at the show:

"The students explored the city in all directions and in many dimensions . They responded to it by making things. The nature of these things evolved from their interactions with the urban environments. Their work therefore reflects both person and place"
Two or three things that I liked a lot (there was one conceptual piece that didn't photograph well):

This set of collages (by Laura Mack?), taking things like drawings, found objects and also photographs, pulling them together but also working text into the pieces as the artist interprets the city and her reactions. There was a strong temporal aspect, as reactions evolve through time.


This one was fascinating. The two posters draw one to the book in the foreground, which is an art book of sorts, exploring using the city in various ways via photography, text and diagrams. The minimalist, modernist aesthetic was appealing, reminding one of Ulm HfG work of the 1960s. The quality here is equivilant to what yer humble host has seen in museum shows like Shrinking Citys. Artist: Kevin Sullivan.
Link

Another set of collages, but a bit more painterly. Artist: Melisa Starkowicz. These have a strong people focus, working around photos of people around town, persumably taken by the artist.


An example: "The King of Third & Main".
These are just three examples. One has to go downtown and see the show for the rest.

(tip of the hat to F. Berkemeir at DMM for informing us of this)

1 comment:

Franz said...

Hi Jeffery,

I really enjoyed the show myself, especially the pieces that you highlighted.

I was also a big fan of Tracy Flagg's photography of the Dayton's rivers. I luckily had an opportunity to speak with Tracy at the show, where she plainly explained how she saw the rivers as Dayton's identity. I was thrilled.

Good post.