Steel, Stone, Paper & Paint Review
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I took one of my kids out Saturday for some art exposure in Idaho Falls. We first went to the Eagle Rock Art Museum for an opening of sculptor Mark Stasz and painter Dave Thomas.
Anyone should at least drive by the museum (by the library) to see the amazing, large sculpture installed in front of the building. I hope the city buys it for permanent display somewhere, or someone buys it and donates it for the city to display, because it is a great piece.
Here’s my art criticism (read: subjective opinion on a subjective subject): I liked Mark’s sculptures and I did not like Dave’s paintings. I like art abstracted from reality, however I do not like art that references nothing from reality (purely abstract), especially if I don’t find beauty in the final form. My opinion of Dave’s paintings is they have a lot of action and movement, however they do not seem professional. I saw them and thought of the cliché, “my six-year-old son could have done that”. It did not help that each painting had the title written directly on the canvas in #2 pencil.
I liked Mark’s sculptures because they were large. Three of them towered over us mere humans, and they embody an energy of contained movement. The one outside reaches for the sky, in the three parts seem to reflect a hand reaching for the sky. It gives me a feeling of aspiring to greater reality, of rolling up from a low and concentrating energy to reach a high. I really like it, and hope it finds a permanent home in Idaho Falls.
Upon further thought, I realized Mark’s sculptures are almost as abstracted as Dave’s paintings, so why do I like one and dismiss the other? I think I can appreciate the hand-worked talent more that is evident in the sculptures than the paintings. I think it’s also because the sculptures reflect recognizable forms, whereas the paintings just seem to be scribbles.
In any case, I encourage you to visit the museum and see for yourself. You can see the outside sculpture just by driving by, and the museum is free. You’ll see it all in just 5-10 minutes, and then have something new to talk about with people. Here are two more pictures: a large Mark Stasz sculpture, with two smaller ones in the background, and another Mark Stasz sculpture, with a Dave Thomas painting in the background.
There is also a hallway and a larger back room displaying paintings by various artists. As I’ve said before, I highly admire the craft ability of these artists, but none of it really challenges my mind. Not one ventures into subject matter that is the slight bit debateable, let alone controversial. I am just plain bored when I look at them. It is the same content I see in Wal-Mart or Target stores.
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Comments
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0 I couldn’t help but laugh when I read this post. How hypocritical is it to harp on the community for not displaying art by contemporary artists and then turn around and completely disregard one of the few modern artists willing to show here? If you are looking for “real” fine art, created by today’s artists, (because you want to feel like part of some pseudo-intellectual club or something) it doesn’t seem right to dismiss one simply because his work is not conventionally beautiful (art is not always beautiful). I’m not saying I’m a fan of this style either, but I don’t profess to be starving for the artistic expression of our society’s contemporaries.
You say you want the locally displayed art to challenge your mind, right? What can be more daring for a piece of art than to question the very nature of art itself. You were clearly challenged in so much as the works made you consider your paradigm for what art and beauty are. While you may not have been aesthetically pleased, the art did its job in evoking a response.
Anyway, you reap what you sow. IF isn’t exactly the most artist friendly place. Most artists (anywhere) can’t make a living off their personal work alone and must work in commercial art jobs, which are very hard to come by in IF. And when you can find one, they rarely pay anything above minimum wage. Until Idaho Falls supports good design and talented designers, I’m afraid its citizens will be subjected to the well-executed, yet highly unoriginal art that currently resides in the museum.
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0 0 I guess you’re referring to painter Dave Thomas?
Well, I felt his art was too abstracted from any reference point. It’s valid, I just don’t care for it. That’s just my opinion, it can be discounted as much as anyone’s.
So I thought the content was bland, and I looked to the technique. At least on many of the paintings displayed in the bigger room are created with aesthetically pleasing techniques (water colors, etc.) Dave’s painting techniques seemed to be five or six distinct brush strokes in a couple different colors. Then the #2 pencil-ed titles!
But if you dig his work, I’m glad for you. Just a difference of opinion. I can respect that.
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0 0 I couldn’t agree more about the sculpture. It will be a great addition to our cityscape.
IF Gal has a good point and I don’t think you quite responded exept with more critisism.
The fact is, Thomas is a display of something that you are begging for - something that makes you think.
This brings me to that back room. The effect of all of this art that you don’t want to see is profound. It makes you yearn to see something you DO want to see, it inspires you to write about the experience on the WWW, it makes you whine and squirm uncomfortably. It creates reactions in you.
We may be dying for some art that would make others feel the same, experience something outside of our predefined paramaters of expectation and deal with it, experience it.
I applaud The Eagle Rock Gallery for stepping into new directions. The work itself aside, until Christo comes to wrap the temple in pink plastic, let’s support what is here. Unless you aren’t as thirsty as you say.
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0 0 yeah, i suppose it does create those reactions you described in me. however the net effect is bad, because i don’t recommend anyone go see them. art that i liked i would recommend to others to go see it (like i have on this site).
i did respond with more criticism about dave’s art, i thought she wanted to discuss the art, not to perpetuate a negative attitude. i didn’t mean to give off that vibe, just wanted to discuss art.
I was surprised that I am being seen as anti-art or not supporting local artists. I realized I had written the following supportive statement in another post and not here.
Hopefully I can communicate clearly that I do support the Idaho Falls art scene, and local art (whether I like it or not). When I say I would like to see different kinds of art, I mean IN ADDITION to our current art NOT REPLACING our current art.
What I wrote:
Finally, as much as I would like to see other things displayed at the annual art show, I am genuinely grateful that it happens at all. I appreciate art deeply and think it fills out the gaps in our culture. I believe Idaho Falls’ art scene is smaller and lacking compared to other cities of comparable size, and I want to see it grow. I hope more local art events start happening.
I would just like to see the scope increase in intellectual meaning along with quantity and quality.
http://idahofallz.com/2006/07/25/eagle-rock-art-guild-2006-sidewalk-show/
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0 0 Many people want to see the scope increase in intellectual meaning along with quantity and quality. Just like a coach wants some little league team to be all stars. The only way that ever happens is tencouraging those that try, even if coch has to say what sucks is great, a little white lie to bring out the best.
When the Eagle rock gallery wants to find out what someone out of the mainstream is thinking about art, and perhaps turn here they will certainly think not to bring any more of THAT stuff if it can’t even find appreciation amongst the starving.
Your intentions are plainly in the right place, not anti- art.
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0 0 A funny story was relayed to me today during a visit to the ERAM. Apparently a guy has had a bit of a fit going because of the evil implications of 6 6 6 imbedded into one another. I also think the new eagles look like a giant pair of horns sticking out of the demon rocks from the west. And we were worried about crosses in jars of urine in the 1% funding article. Evil art is already here. Not to mention the skeleton chair.
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You will be happy to know that the large Stasz sculpture outside of the museum is a permanent installation. It’s the result of a statewide contest and two years of raising the money to pay for the sculpture. The Museum’s board of directors gifted the sculpture Eternal Momentum to the City of Idaho Falls on Saturday, July 22. Glad you like it!