The Chronicle stops the presses- Play offers new twist on classic story
- Students create illustrations for Georgia Ports Authority
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Graduate student channels classic horror in thesis film - Alumnus creates mobile gallery
- SCAD libraries hold artist’s book competition for students
- Griffis discusses development of Arthur legend
- Noted author speaks to students
- The Green Scene: 'We have a dream'
- Personnel File: New staff members join SCAD-Savannah
- SCAD hosts regional IDSA conference
- Titus Kaphar to speak at SCAD
- The Bee Line
- Women’s lacrosse sets records in Kennesaw State win
- Athlete Feats highlights for Feb. 22
- Baseball takes series from St. Thomas
- Women’s basketball wraps up second place in Florida Sun
- Athletics updates for Feb. 15
- Baseball off to best start in program’s history
- Big third period leads lacrosse team to victory
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The Arts
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‘Catalyst’ closes the gap between art and life
 Photo by Wayne C. Moore Ben Page, Scot Kelly, Scott Griffin and Monica Cook show off their sartorial sass at the opening of "Catalyst." By Carolina Blatt Published: Friday, January 26, 2001 What’s the fuss about Gallery 28? At the recent opening of "Catalyst," the libations almost received more attention than the art. During the opening, police raided the privately owned gallery and confiscated 20 to 30 bottles of wine without issuing a citation or making an arrest. Eventually, the handcuff-swinging officers returned to crime-fighting and the excitement died down, but what remains at Gallery 28 is some very intriguing art. The distinction between art and life can be vividly marked, often physically delineated by the frame around a painting or the rope around a sculpture. However, many artists are actively trying to escape these limits. One year ago, seven of the aforementioned escapists united to form Catalyst, a group dedicated to blurring the boundaries that separate art from life. The results of their year of experimental collaboration are now on display at Gallery 28, 28 E. 41st St. The members of Catalyst — Monica Cook, Scott Griffin, Scot Kelly, Ben Page, Russel May, Greg Cradick and Samantha Bonnell — all seem uniquely inspired by the group and each other. Cook, Griffin, May and Kelly are all alumni of the Savannah College of Art and Design, while Cradick is currently a photography student at SCAD. "It’s interesting to find a group of seven people who have so much in common — aesthetically that is," said Griffin. "We all have an interest in creating a beautiful object, but also a sense of the grotesque and of the sublime." The group’s gatherings center around private performances, for which they don costumes and personalities. "When we put on a costume, we assume characters that we create out of our own personalities," said Cook. "We take what we do and learn from that. Even if we didn’t want it to, it would influence us." The work on display is plastic art that was created by the individuals that comprise the group. With few exceptions, the art in this show is all connected to or inspired by the group’s collaborative performance art. Viewers may glimpse a costumed or masked artist in more than one of the works on display. There is an iridescent beauty that characterizes the show. Its shimmering allure almost overshadows the subtle absurdity of its style. The exhibition nearly eludes description, but several works easily could be the glitter-drenched artistic hybrid of elfin magic and "2001." As a medium, resin collages dominate the show, for which the term "mixed media" is a gross understatement. That the members of Catalyst buy much of their equipment at party supply stores is evinced by the quantity of opalescent snow and small plastic ballerinas now found at Gallery 28. The resin works flash a hyper-glossy finish and lend a cohesive quality to the exhibition. Cook’s ebullient oval collages carry an immediate visual impact. Self-portraits and single-figure portraits largely comprise Cook’s body of work. Funky fabric swatches and vibrant hues of paint imbue the works with an aura that is colorful and chipper, bright and lively. A closer inspection of the subjects reveals their slight anatomical anomalies and unusual postures. "I try to let the character create itself," Cook said. "I also let the materials evolve on their own." Hands play an important role in several of Cook’s pieces, most noticeably in "Orbit " and "Graham," where the subject turns their palms out towards the viewer. The digits of "Rose Red" turn a florid orange as they curl in mannerist style. One of the most fascinating aspects of the show is the rapport between the works — most notably those of Cook and Griffin. The two have been working together for the past seven years and their work reflects that synergy. Both using resin collages, their works share a glossy iridescence and slightly bizarre subject matter. One result of their collaboration is "Warm/Fuzzy, Cold/Prickly," a unique corner installation of two iridescent orbs sprouting an array of cake decorations. Small plastic deer and ballerinas frolic about the crater-ridden surface of "Warm/Fuzzy," from which birthday candle holders and puffs of cotton emerge. The same deer stumble and hide on "Cold/Prickly," where wisps of hair replace the tufts of cotton. A sound installation by Ben Page completes the work with warm/fuzzy and cold/prickly sounds. Griffin wraps issues of life and death in double-entendres and often whimsical presentations. Babies and self-portraits most frequently represent this theme. Crowned with a plastic gold "jeweled" border, "Birth" features a self-portrait as a baby surrounded by a jumble of cherubs and putti, all donning birthday hats. Plastic spaceships, representing the journey of life, fill the corners of the work. "I like that dichotomy of having the classical or rococo paired with something chintzy," Griffin said. Duality and dichotomy characterize Griffin’s work. "Dumbbell," could indicate a weight, a bell without a ringer, or a person who’s not the brightest crayon in the box. In the case of Griffin’s tongue-in-cheek high-relief composition, "Dumbbell" means all three. "Present" refers to both the time frame as well as the possibility of a gift. By the time viewers get to "Baby Shower," they almost expect to see babies falling from the clouds in a glittery sprinkle and a subject whose head morphs into an embryo. Ask Kelly about his work and he’s likely to say more about what he plans to do than what he has done. Although from the viewer’s perspective the works leave nothing to be desired, Kelly considers all of his large-scale resin collages to be works in progress. "This began as a scribble I had on a piece of paper about four or five years ago," he said of one untitled piece. Other works in the show have received his attention for as little as one year. The compositions consist of innumerable layers of paint, photographs, fabrics and, of course, resin. Much of Kelley’s art borrows from the collaborative performances and elaborate costumes, as well as dreams and the minutia of everyday life. Their multilayered nature evokes a mysterious depth and piques the curiosity of the viewer. May’s paintings of vaguely tangled human figures refer to religious imagery. "Whenever visual artists were trying to represent spirituality, they reverted to the human body, using the sensuality of the body to represent God," May said, referring to the history of art. Using oil resin, the paint tends to drip and wrinkle of its own accord, producing a tactile work of art. "I use a process where I try to relinquish a certain amount of control," May said. "I like to be surprised by what happens." History and religion — both Western and Eastern — play a hand in May’s paintings. One depiction of the incredulity of St. Thomas was inspired by the so-called primitive art on an ivory book cover from the Middle Ages. "In art, everything is ironic. Nothing is sincere," May said. "If I can’t find my own sincerity, I want to examine someone else’s." Bonnell’s work augments the show with an unlikely arrangement of animal bones. Having collected bones for several years, Bonnell uses them to concoct other creatures, such as "Hornets Nest." The group’s unity is evident throughout the exhibition, but it is documented most obviously by the photography of Cradick. "Catalyst" is a composite photograph in which seven exposures — one of each of the members of the group — are superimposed. The result presents the viewer with a palimpsest of portraits. Cradick’s photographic documentation of the group’s performances is also on display at Gallery 28. The group collaborates on many of the photography projects such as "The Lost Series," in which each member developed a visual and conceptual premise for something that they had lost. Another work includes seven photographs — one of each of the members in Cradick’s clothes. "Catalyst" is on display through Feb. 13 at Gallery 28, 28 E. 41st St. |
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