Saturday night, Public Functionary opened their Wintertide show. A biennial art exhibition presented by Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and Public Functionary. It’s a juried show of mixed visual art forms – photography, mixed media, painting and drawing and sculpture. It was a mix of themes and perspectives. There were more than a few pieces that caught my eye.
Wings of Desire by Karen Brown is immediately charming. The kind of art you notice from across the room. It’s a girl with wings (made of feathers) and brass finger tips. The details are realistic with one glaring omission. The little girl has no face; you can see into the bird mask to find only a brass uvula. It adds a darkness to a work that is otherwise hopeful and open.
Escape by Natalia Berglund is more abstract – hands escaping from sharp pyramids. The art in the work is the detail in the hands: the shape, the wrinkles, the grasping. The color contrast between the hands and the triangles help the hands pop. There’s a definite creepy but cool factor.
The red color of the swim cap adorning the Swim Girl by Mary Solberg is its most striking feature but the deep eyes and beautiful lips keep you looking. Something about the gaze is mesmerizing.
And speaking of eyes – the eyes have it with Keith Holmes’ Celebrate Northeast Parade. Holmes has captured a feeling we’ve all experienced. It’s part boredom, part drive ahead, part what the heck as we continue on with our daily life.
Govardhan Blessing by Andy Richter is another work that draws on the strength of the object’s eyes. There’s a malaise in the eyes along with distress in the mouth that’s a little disturbing. You worry for the girl in the picture and feel almost voyeuristic looking at the picture.
Dean Lucker’s Moon Hospital is completely different. It’s animated, interactive, like an old fashioned, fancy bank. And it includes a fun perspective on the moon – a fanciful idea of men taking care of the moon as a phases.
Madison Rubenstein has a human sketch that includes pointed detail in the hands with a blur of obviously female figure with face dark and obscured.
The show runs until February 4, 2015.
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