Since the dawn of time, animals have inspired our artistic impulses.
From prehistoric cave paintings to the half-beast gods and monsters of
the ancient world, from medieval hunting scenes to the 19th century
animalier tradition, and from the fables of Aesop to the corporate
mascots and blockbuster animated features of contemporary popular
culture, it is clear that the human-animal connection is one of the
most primordial and persistent relationships in all of civilization.
We lay our babies down to sleep with stuffed bears and tales of frog
princes, hapless pigs, and the Big Bad Wolf. And it's no surprise that
when a child first takes crayon to paper, animals are among their
earliest discernible images. Included in the exhibition is Ellen Jantzen who has been a Premiere Portfolio Artist at absolutearts.com since 2003.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Kenny Aguar (Athens, GA), Matt Blanks (Athens, GA), Jill Carnes
(Athens, GA); Andrew Cayce (Athens, GA); Louise Zjawin Francke
(Efland, NC); Joe Havasy (Athens, GA); Ellen Jantzen (Valencia, CA);
Heidi Jensen (Jacksonville Beach, FL); Billie Grace Lynn (Miami, FL);
Jessica May (St. Louis, MO); Jacqueline Meeks (Nashville, TN);
Rosemary Mendicino (Athens, GA); Diane Meyer (California); Blake
Sanders (New Orleans, LA); Dorothy Schultz (Trumbull, CT); Dan Smith
(Athens, GA); Beth Thompson (Athens, GA); Margi Weir (Placitas, NM);
Jeffrey Whittle (Athens, GA)
Yet what is it about these furry, feathered, scaly, and slimy
creatures that so captivates us—these supposedly senseless beings upon
whose flesh we feast, whose labors we relied upon to build our
civilizations and conquer uncharted lands, whose fangs and claws we
fear, whose habitats we plunder and pave over, and whose antics
provide us with endless entertainment?
From the wacky cartoony wonderlands of local Athenians such as Jill
Carnes, Joe Havasy, Andrew Cayce, and Dan Smith to the creepy
psycho-sexual situations portrayed by the likes of Heidi Jensen
and Kenny Aguar, to the moral complexities of animal rights issues
present in works by Jessica May, Louise Zjawin Francke, and Ellen
Jantzen, "Animal Instincts: Allegory & Anthropomorphism" invites
viewers to consider human-animal parallels from a fresh contemporary
perspective.
WAR & ANIMAL ALLEGORY
The gallery is dominated by nationally renowned Miami artist Billie
Grace Lynn's 30-foot inflatable, Dead Mouse. This absurdly oversized
gory reinterpretation of an American icon offers a poignant statement
on emptiness and innocence lost in an era of unrestrained capitalist
imperialism and war. Yet despite the morbid overtones and pooling
blood—which incidentally forms the shape of the continental U.S.— the
work is overwhelmingly comical, an effect that enhances the allusion
to desensitivity to violence that prevails in our culture. ATHICA is
pleased to be exhibiting this ambitious work (see image this page),
which Lynn submitted to our Annual Review Committee in 2006. (Her work
was also included in ATHICA's January 2007 exhibit, "Transience: The
Paradox of Being.")
Not surprisingly, war is an issue for other artists in our show. New
Mexico artist Margi Weir weighs in with Tapestry of Flight. This
9-foot wide by 13-foot high vinyl decal makes allusions to the
destructive proclivities of man-made contraptions. (Weir's similarly
war-themed Screaming Wheel was a big hit at ATHICA in the fall 2006,
"America on the Brink" exhibit). Although mankind's modern technology
so often poses a threat to the survival of many species, animal
abilities certainly serve as inspiration for some of our most
miraculous machines. Tapestry of Flight explores our triumph over air
and space with graphic patterns of birds, bees, airplanes, astronauts,
and rockets woven together into something of a magic carpet
chronicling the human desire to break free from gravity's bonds only
to end up dropping bombs.
Connecticut's Dorothy Schultz also explores machines of war in
Technological Evolution. Schultz's impressive body of performance,
installation, and video work frequently addresses issues of authority
and societal status quo from an absurdist perspective, and her video
contribution to "Animal Instincts" is no exception. Technological
Evolution stars a pack of hermit crabs outfitted in "shells"
resembling tanks. The effect is both monstrous and comical as war
games are played out amongst these clumsy and benign little creatures.
DYSTOPIC VS. UTOPIC VISIONS
Longtime Athenian Andrew Cayce's lurid, cartoonish, and surreal
paintings also toy with the absurdity of authority, control issues,
and vulnerability. In Bunch o' Bears, an army of fuzzy teddies marches
along in an utterly unnatural Orwellian wasteland. Sluggy features a
crowned and vested slug reigning over a sextet of snails, his
shell-less status somehow elevating him to a position of authority.
Princess and Frog offers a similar scene, this time between familiar
fairy tale characters. Only in Cayce's interpretation, the
conspicuously nude girl, seemingly out for a moonlit skinny dip, plays
the dual role of princess and sorceress, wielding power as she waves
her magic wand over the patient frog.
In contrast to the smooth surrealism of Cayce's work, Jill Carnes
noodley-limbed critters exist in a quivering childlike world of
rainbow-hued psychedelic pattern. Also a longtime figure on the Athens
art scene, Carnes contributes three drawings to "Animal Instincts."
Diplomatic Reasons plays out a benign scene in which a rabbit-eared
alien is welcomed to Earth by a blue and purple polka-dotted
elephant—an incident likely to turn ugly if the same visitor were to
stumble upon human civilization. In What Shall I Wear? and Deadline, a
goofy giraffe and a smiling kitty goodnaturedly toil away at the
mundane tasks of everyday human existence.
ANTHROPOMORPHISM, EMOTION & PSYCHO-SEXUAL PROJECTIONS
Athenian, Matt Blanks employs a Japanime cartoon style in a vast body
of work dominated by animalesque creatures. Blanks, who dabbles in
textiles and ceramics as well, offers two touching paintings featuring
fantastical beasts wallowing in the throes of human emotion. His
Teodor, Winged Rabbit (Guardian the First) (reproduced on this page),
is a melancholy monster displaying ragged patchwork wings; it comes
across as more frightened than fearsome. Cockatrice and the Bear King
of Sadness portrays another very blue critter whose candyland kingdom
appears to have been overrun by a vicious though jovial mythical
beast.
Heidi Jensen of Jacksonville Beach, Florida illustrates the
not-so-uplifting side of human nature. Jensen's drawings, Leak and
Blush, portray gruesome rabbit people with pendulous bellies who lose
control of bodily functions. In scenes offering a Jerry Springer spin
on a Watership Down world, Jensen's work addresses themes of domestic
violence and societal roles thrown into chaos. In compositions of
delicate candy colors, bunnies, normally considered among the
cuddliest of critters, are transfigured into vile and loathsome
humanoids capable of inflicting deep psychological wounds.
Native Athenian Kenny Aguar also employs animal imagery to illustrate
the baser side of human nature. Aguar's alter ego, the monkey-suited
8-Track Gorilla, gained renown on the Athens music scene nearly a
decade ago for his karaoke-style raucous reinterpretations of some of
the bawdier hits from the late '70s and early '80s. An accomplished
collage artist who draws inspiration from science fiction, vintage
comics, B-movies, rock n' roll, and porn, Aguar's triptych, Forgive Us
Our Debts, Impossible?, and Side-Show plays out a nightmarish
narrative of apocalyptic lust and betrayal in an animal-filled Garden
of Eden gone bad. (Tracking the Gorilla, a new documentary by local
filmmaker Diane Campese about Aguar's 8-Track Gorilla will be screened
as part of this exhibit's affiliated events.)
Athenian, Joe Havasy, also approaches the idea of animal-human lust,
albeit from a much more innocent and comical perspective. A regular
contributor to Athens' Flagpole magazine's comics page, Havasy's
paintings, Trust and Buzz Off, are two in a series of paintings and
comics which depict an ongoing theme of sexy/cute young women as the
object of silly and seemingly harmless animal affections.
HUMAN IDENTITY THROUGH ANIMAL CHARACTER
Athenian Dan Smith utilizes a similar cartoon style and comical bent
in alluding to issues of identity. An elementary-school art teacher by
trade, Smith encourages the illustration of pure imagination. His
Iconoclastamus is a portrait-like portrayal of a rather dignified
hippo with an obvious admiration of Abraham Lincoln, while I am not a
unicorn, I am not a narwhal, I am not a rhinoceros, for I am not a
hero is a sweet, rose-colored monster who wrestles with the
age-old question "Who am I?" And New Haircut #3 is a comical
illustration of a sentiment shared by anyone who has ever walked out
of a salon sporting a startling new 'do.
Hailing from Santa Monica, California, Diane Meyer's LVP1613, MLR1943,
and AMW1048 are three selections from a larger photo portrait series
of unmasked young men in mascot costumes. The images are intended to
reference military portraiture and explore notions of innocence and
vulnerability among young soldiers sent off to dangerous faraway
lands, but anyone familiar with "Furries" may be reminded of the
thriving underground culture of animal-suit enthusiasts who regularly
gather in chat rooms and conventions to celebrate their inner animals.
MUTATIONS
An accomplished multi-media artist, Nashville's Jacqueline Meeks
offers a selection from a larger series of drawings. Horse Girl 1 & 3
and Shark Boy 1 & 2, stylistically recall the notebook doodles of
distracted adolescents (think of the "Liger" scene in the indie hit
film, Napoleon Dynamite). Yet the grotesque morphing of human and
animal forms and the graphic illustration of internal organs allude to
darker themes of mutation, dissection, and psychological unrest.
Ellen Jantzen of Valencia, California also addresses mutation in her
digital images, A Blind Trust, Carpio kallos, and Eye Witness. These
sleek, symmetrical, mandala-like forms are made up of bits and pieces
of flora and fauna from the natural world, yet they have become new
and utterly unfamiliar, unnatural creations. Jantzen explores the idea
of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), splicing and reforming
images in much the same way scientists alter the DNA of experimental
life forms. (Jantzen's work also appeared in spring 2007's Ruburbs
exhibit.)
ANIMAL EQUALITY
New Orleans artist Blake Sanders employs animals to relate poignant
socio-political truths. Created in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina,
New Neighbor shows a beaver setting up house in a badly damaged
Crescent City neighborhood, alluding to the destructive and
constructive forces of humanity that preyed upon that city after the
disaster. A newer work, Dressed to Impress turns to prehistoric
pterodactyls to illustrate the primordial male instinct which is
shared by nearly all species who go to great lengths to attract a
mate.
Louise Zjawin Francke of Elfland, North Carolina
re-imagines the iconic works of the Great Masters with animal
stand-ins to convey the preciousness of the Earth's threatened
species. Rhino Lady as Vermeer's Girl with a Flute, New Kind of
Marriage in Arnolfini's Wedding Chamber, and Puma as Ingres' The
Princess Broglie all feature endangered animals in familiar costumes,
poses, and scenes, offering an irreverent nod to art history and
society's quest to preserve cultural icons while addressing serious
issues of species preservation. (See Puma image this page.)
St. Louis artist Jessica May also alludes to the preciousness of
animal life. May made "Odd News" headlines all over the internet
earlier this year when she dressed up roadkill in human clothing,
leaving it on-site to startle motorists throughout the southern
Illinois area where she lived. (See blogs.usatoday.com /ondeadline/
2007/05/woman_decorates.html for a news blurb on this project). Her
photos, Opossum 1, Opossum 3.2, Raccoon 1, Raccoon 2, Raccoon 3, and
Raccoon 3.2. provide darkly comical yet creepy evidence of this
project and lead us to rethink the role of the mowed-down creatures
strewn along our roadsides and our own callous lack of reaction as we
speed by. (See Racoon image, next page.)
THE MYSTIC ANIMAL
Athenian Rosemary Mendicino's mechanized constructions, Butterflygirl
and Minotaurman, incorporate original expressionistic ceramic forms as
well as found objects—broken and discarded doll parts, rusty bits of
metal machinery, yellowing scraps of printed paper. Profoundly
influenced by the work of early 20th century American
psychic/philosopher Edgar Cayce, Mendicino's creatures recall a
prehistoric era in which evolved spiritual beings occupied animal
forms. (Incidentally, fellow "Animal Instincts" artist Andy Cayce is a
distant cousin of Edgar Cayce and admits to have found some
inspiration in the ideas of his famous ancestor.)
Calling to mind statues of ancient gods and holy saints, Mendicino's
works meld elements from the
natural world with the detritus of modern human existence, creating
contemporary icons worthy of any neo-pagan altar.
Athenian Beth Thompson's 8 of Wands, 7 of Swords, and Ace of Cups are
three cards in an ongoing series depicting the full tarot deck. These
digitally manipulated photographic collages are the artist's personal
reinterpretations of the traditional symbols of each particular card,
often including animals as the embodiment of particular spiritual
elements. The cards are arranged in a past/present/future reading of
the artist's own life—her hand-written interpretation is displayed for
the audience.
Athenian Jeffery Whittle also turns to animals as the incarnation of
abstract spiritual ideals. Deeply imbued with a Zen-like calm,
Whittle's work incorporates bits of aeronautical and oceanographic
maps to reference concepts of journeying and the human desire to know
where we're going. Birdland (see detail image next page) depicts
tortoises and birds co-mingling as earth meets sky and flights of
fancy seek a slow and steady pace, while his underwater cowboy scene,
Yin-Yang Rounders, substitutes a pair of wizened catfish for bucking
broncos in an illustration of the wild ride that is this life.
Highly varied in both style and thematic undertones, "Animal
Instincts: Allegory & Anthropomorphism" explores individual and
societal tendencies to imbue other species with purely human physical
and psychological characteristics. The exhibit frequently reveals more
about human nature and philosophical ideals than it does the
increasingly precarious state of animal existence.
We hope that this exhibit will inspire viewers to explore their own
inner animal metaphors and perhaps gain an increased appreciation for
the physical existence of as well as the allegorical meanings inspired
by the creatures with whom we share this Earth.
—Melissa Link, Curator
with editorial assistance by Lizzie Zucker Saltz, Director and Mark
Watkins, Assistant Curator
Ellen Jantzen's work can be viewed here in her Premiere Portfolio at absolutearts.com.
IMAGE
Ellen Jantzen
Title: Carpio kallos hybrid 2
Year Created: 2005
Medium: Other Photograph
Width: 20 inches
Height: 20 inches
Edition Size: 50
Price: US$ 275
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