The NAWA exhibit was absolutely fascinating. I went in expecting to see the stereotypical avant-garde art that borders on the edge of strange for pure shock value alone. But I was actually impressed by the exhibit, there was an eclectic arrangement of art that truly demonstrated artistic passion. I only expected there to be paintings, but I was surprised to find intricate woodcuts, introspective photographs, and transcendental sculptures. The first thing that I realized was how colorful and full of life the pieces appeared to be. There was a balanced appreciation of realism and absurdity. Some artworks appeared to make a political statement, others commented on social quandaries, while a few seemed completely free or away from this world. Honestly, I enjoyed it all because they were genuine, skillfully made and full of raw passion.
My favorite pieces were the more natural creations, such as “Geisha Dream” from Anne Lasusa and “Jungle Story” from Jacqueline Lorieo. In particular, I was enchanted by a porcelain sculpture titled “First we Start with the Feathers” by Barbara Berne Smith. This sculpture displayed a family of foxes hunting a bird. The scene was very appealing because it took something natural like a pack of foxes going out for a hunt and then humanized it. I like art that captures a scene in life that is usually overlooked and emphasizes the beauty in it. In this instance, the older foxes were teaching the younglings how to hunt, an essential skill for surviving in the wild, but the scene itself was not wild. Instead it was graceful, delicate, and loving, like when your mother teaches you how to properly cut your food with a knife and fork.
Another piece that I enjoyed was the collage titled “Real or Imagined?” from Margaret Minardi. At the top of the collage there is a female writer or artist who seems to have trouble concentrating and finding inspiration. Surrounding her in the collage is a maelstrom of seemingly random zebras, crows, and patches of colored designs. I interpreted this collage as mirroring the process of producing art. In this moment, the artist has a thousand ideas roaming around her head at once, and some of them are inspired by real events while others are chimerical in essence.
The general atmosphere of the exhibit was uplifting. The mere fact that this was the 128th annual event was impressive enough. Also the women at the front desk were enthused by my interest in art and encouraged me to explore any upcoming exhibits that they may be hosting. Considering that women have often gotten the short end of the stick in the art world, it is a strong testament to the evolution of the craft to see a congregation of women expressing themselves in a gallery. These women are as talented as any other artist. If you dragged anyone off the street that did not know this was a NAWA sponsored exhibit, nor the names of any of the artist, I doubt that they would be able to distinguish the gender of the artist. I say this because I have to admit that I came in with the assumption that I would see “girly” art; pieces with nothing but flowers and butterflies, but the exhibit was far more than that. Particularly, the femmage from Rhonda Thomas Urdang titled “Ethos Interruptum”, was powerful because it depicts influential women in history and the elegance in their socio-political advancement. The perspective of femininity and womanhood added to pieces and did not distract from them.
Hey Justin – There’s a problem with most of the images in this post, although the bottom image showed up fine. To insert an image, click Add Media while making the post, and select the image that you want to upload. Feel free to email me if you have any further difficulty or questions.
Thank you.