2008 Woodie Awards
Onlookers 'Crazy' For Feminine Collages
New Art Show Dedicated to Colorful Women and a Colorful Decade
Jessica Suico
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment
It used to be that out-of-work actors/waiters and a lukewarm cheese tray were the sole essentials of a good gallery opening. Maybe there was a fruit platter as well.
These days, though, no such fare is complete without a frenzied staff of well-shoed PR personnel and a guest list that seems like it was compiled by picking random names out of the White Pages.
Then, on the balmy evening of Saturday, April 5, at the gala opening of "Call Me Crazy," a series of collage portraits by Amanda Dolan, the attendees were treated with a sparkling array of pink cupcakes instead of cheese, and a taste of the world's first sparkling vodka, Vodka O2.
Much of the art in "Call Me Crazy" is a tribute to historically strong and disturbed women characterized as "crazy." In fact, the best way to perceive the show is as a class reunion and a look into the glamorous life.
It's devoted to the 80s, and it's all here, the good and the bad: eye-popping neon colors, deconstructed imagery, a random splattering of words and quotes from each dark mistress fashioned in pink and blue and the revolutionary power of women's laughter and anger.
Nearly every aesthetic in favor today - from photorealism to scatter art - was either invented or extended back then. This showing is loaded with vibrancy and spontaneity, much like the artist herself.
There is so much to be knocked out by: Amanda Dolan's self-perspective, Bettie Page posing in fetish photos and mug shots and Marilyn Monroe surrounded by her tragic words. It's a rush of memories and the lust for life.
Let one example suffice. Compare Dolan's explicit rendition of Courtney Love to one of the most famous collages in all of art, Romare Bearden's "The Block." Bearden's vivid look at Harlem, a bare-essentials view into his home, essentially depicts visual jazz.
Dolan's collage is nowhere near as familiar, but it is far more accessible and infused with spirit. It is about the essence of Courtney Love as not only an artist, but as an icon - the artist's favorite, in fact.
Expertly organized by the Ward-Nasse Gallery, "Call Me Crazy" is also an occasion to ask about female representation in the art world.
Women as artists have struggled in the past. It was hard to be showcased in museums and galleries in the '70s, and female artists continue to be marginalized today.
But with more galleries like the Ward-Nasse Gallery - non-profit, alternative spaces, dedicated to giving talent a place to showcase their work - emerging artists like Dolan are able to thrive and grow.
When looking at Dolan, it is easy to see that her work is an extension of herself, with pink adorning her hair and shoes just like her art.
And you can also see the pride she has in accomplishing her second collection. She was able to do what most artists hope to do: actually see themselves in their art.
These days, though, no such fare is complete without a frenzied staff of well-shoed PR personnel and a guest list that seems like it was compiled by picking random names out of the White Pages.
Then, on the balmy evening of Saturday, April 5, at the gala opening of "Call Me Crazy," a series of collage portraits by Amanda Dolan, the attendees were treated with a sparkling array of pink cupcakes instead of cheese, and a taste of the world's first sparkling vodka, Vodka O2.
Much of the art in "Call Me Crazy" is a tribute to historically strong and disturbed women characterized as "crazy." In fact, the best way to perceive the show is as a class reunion and a look into the glamorous life.
It's devoted to the 80s, and it's all here, the good and the bad: eye-popping neon colors, deconstructed imagery, a random splattering of words and quotes from each dark mistress fashioned in pink and blue and the revolutionary power of women's laughter and anger.
Nearly every aesthetic in favor today - from photorealism to scatter art - was either invented or extended back then. This showing is loaded with vibrancy and spontaneity, much like the artist herself.
There is so much to be knocked out by: Amanda Dolan's self-perspective, Bettie Page posing in fetish photos and mug shots and Marilyn Monroe surrounded by her tragic words. It's a rush of memories and the lust for life.
Let one example suffice. Compare Dolan's explicit rendition of Courtney Love to one of the most famous collages in all of art, Romare Bearden's "The Block." Bearden's vivid look at Harlem, a bare-essentials view into his home, essentially depicts visual jazz.
Dolan's collage is nowhere near as familiar, but it is far more accessible and infused with spirit. It is about the essence of Courtney Love as not only an artist, but as an icon - the artist's favorite, in fact.
Expertly organized by the Ward-Nasse Gallery, "Call Me Crazy" is also an occasion to ask about female representation in the art world.
Women as artists have struggled in the past. It was hard to be showcased in museums and galleries in the '70s, and female artists continue to be marginalized today.
But with more galleries like the Ward-Nasse Gallery - non-profit, alternative spaces, dedicated to giving talent a place to showcase their work - emerging artists like Dolan are able to thrive and grow.
When looking at Dolan, it is easy to see that her work is an extension of herself, with pink adorning her hair and shoes just like her art.
And you can also see the pride she has in accomplishing her second collection. She was able to do what most artists hope to do: actually see themselves in their art.
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