In 1863, Napoleon allowed the infuriated artists turned down by his Hanging Committee—they hung paintings, not people—to display their work in a separate exhibition.
The Salon des Refusés—Salon of the Rejected—wasn’t of uniform greatness. But it did debut such masters as Manet, Whistler and Cézanne.
In 2000, when Asheville Art Museum held its first juried exhibit since leaving the basement of the Civic Center, there was widespread dissatisfaction with the final works, though no protest was launched.
It seems that selection committees just need time to get it right. Because the quality of this year’s Western North Carolina Artists Exhibition is so high even the rejected artists are conceding its worth.
Painter Larry Turner entered and was not accepted. And yet it is, he says, “a good show. When I saw it, I understood why my work was not in it.”
Sculptor Brenda Coates was pleased to discover work by artists new to the area—but was happier to see mature works by those she’s watched for years. She cites Alice Sebrell’s poignant use of taxidermy mannequins to refer to human frailties. Warren Wilson teacher Dusty Benedict was impressed by the collective work’s quality and various directions. He reports: “It proved to me that there is exciting work being done outside the big art centers.”
Two hundred and sixty artists entered. From those slides, former AAM curator Ron Platt chose 48 artists for further consideration. He visited their studios, then decided on the final 25.
Surprisingly, only five are painters. Platt shows purpose; his aesthetic is sharp and unmistakable. No matter the medium or execution, the pieces he’s chosen are consistently edgy and off-kilter.
In the past photographer Ralph Burns has displayed hundreds of images in his series about the pilgrims who make the yearly trek to Graceland to celebrate Elvis’ birthday. Those photos are usually crowd-pleasers, but Platt picked shots of Burns that are not much fun to look at. (Though once you do you can’t stop.)
Glass is a medium rarely associated with social commentary, but Mark Peiser’s “Bomb” has a lot to say. Made of cast opal glass, it’s ominous in size and shape, and its extraordinary coloring makes it look lit from within.
Jason Weatherspoon exhibits two exquisitely modeled ceramic busts—both hard-jawed warriors wearing helmets. “Weight” has a lead-colored glaze and is topped with a big, rhinestone-encrusted bullet. “Defense” features a shiny gold glaze; the helmet, styled after those worn by ancient Roman soldiers, almost covers the face. It is crowned, quite naturally, with a golden elephant.
The social implication in Taiyo la Paix’s paintings is less apparent. A lavender glow envelopes everything in “Shosan.” A young couple stands close among laughing children in the midst of an elaborate celebration replete with fireworks and paper lanterns. The woman is plump with red hair, green eyes and freckles. The man looks svelte and exotic. The couple appears again in a domestic setting in the colorful “Blender.”
Things look cheerful enough until you notice that the pink fish in the bowl in the foreground is swallowing the smaller blue fantail.
Hands and feet appear randomly throughout Kyoko Masutani’s elaborate designs, skillfully executed in sumi ink on a wooden panel. The work moves to another level with the addition of delicate slippers (made of used tea bags) arranged on the floor.
Hands cast in plaster protrude from the wall to confront the viewer in the dream-based works of IlaSahai Prouty.
Kevin Hogan, in “Fluxmix,” takes his prints into another realm. Installed at the end of the museum’s Holden Community Gallery, the digital images cycle endlessly across the angled space in an effective presentation.
Sean Pace was not so lucky. His “Fight or Flight” is confined to a space which precludes its ability to “duke it out” as intended. Still, this show gives viewers a chance to see just how much innovation is really happening here.
[Connie Bostic is an Asheville-based painter and writer.]
Make It New: Western North Carolina Artists Exhibition 2007 shows at Asheville Art Museum (2 South Pack Square) through Sunday, July 1. See ashevilleart.org or call 253-3227.
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