OCR Text |
Show 4 THIS IS THE PLACE (WHERE WE WILL SEE BREAD DOUGH SCULPTURES) BY RYAN WHITECAR M ost outsiders perceive Utah as Exhibitions of Salt Lake Art Center, without art. People who have in a press release. never been here may shrug off The title of the Fontenot's show is this state as some philistine wasteland, an obvious spinoff from that famous governed by religious dominance and quip often attributed to Brigham marred by homogeneity. Those in Young, "This is the place." There are, the know, however, realize that the however, still doubts as to whether glorious Beehive State actually has a Young said this or not — there is thriving art culture. no recorded firsthand account of Moreover, no one can deny that this statement's utterance. The title Utah has quite an unusual history. therefore compels us to remember Especially not artist and sculptor that we inevitably decide what is Robert Fontenot. memorialized in our history. It also Fontenot, whose new exhibit reminds us that we assign the meaning showcases a body of work geared to the objects of our past and present. almost exclusively for Utahans, was "Only occasionally do we hear, obviously drawn to Utah's unique `This is the right place'," said Fontenot, and sometimes checkered past. The referencing another variant of what Los Angeles-based artist offers bread- Young might have said, "and I really dough sculpture, needlework and like the idea of turning it around. ... watercolors — domestic handicraft It's more about what actually happens techniques that may resonate with here; it's much more about the people Utah natives — in pieces that blend than the place." both beauty and cynicism to reflect As part of the display, there are over what becomes inculcated into our one hundred bread dough renderings culture and history. Titled "The of iconic Utah landmarks and symbols Place This Is," the solo exhibit will ranging from some of the more be on display at Salt Lake Art Center obvious, like Delicate Arch and Spiral through June 1, 2011. Jetty, to the simply hilarious, such as "The exhibition seeks to create a the goblins featured in the cult film portrait of Utah from the perspective Troll 2 and the Bear Lake Monster. of an outsider in Los Angeles The largest of these sculptures is his researching the symbols, myths, tiled bread-dough portrayal of the landmarks and complex political largest man-made structure in Utah, and religious ideologies that help the Kennecott Copper Mine. A define this complicated state," said whimsically portrayed draft of smoke Micol Hebron, Senior Curator of spews from the furnace, trailing around the walls of the gallery. "The Last Words of Charles J. "The idea was to take something Guiteau, Recited on the Occasion disgusting and set it against something of His Execution for the Heinous fantastical," said Fontenot. Assassination of President Garfield, Fontenot's work reveals a knack 1881." The piece incorporates the for irony and humor that is often same juxtaposition of darkness and hard to find in contemporary art, beauty, setting the assassin's last words something that is especially evident on a beautifully embroidered church in his needlework pieces. One banner. installation, titled "The Dictionary "As he danced his way to the of Earthly Delights," represents gallows in 1881," said Fontenot, Fontenot's experimentation with "he recited these words. I wanted to complex needlework techniques. represent pure insanity, and I used The beautiful stitches are paired with this church banner to represent the violent, macabre and sinister words religious basis for his insanity." that are antithetical to the elegance of Included in this exhibition are a the embroidery. few other installations, including a "I found a website offering photography series of images of his different embroidering techniques, home state of Alabama, called "Lower and this is basically a sampler," said Alabama." Fontenot says that these Fontenot. "The words came later. I are the familiar symbols, landscapes started looking at words devoid of and individuals that help memorialize their meaning. ... Some of these are his own history and understanding of obviously related and others aren't. his home state and thus an "insider's When you put a word together with perspective" of his home. These are an image, people will try to create included in the exhibition in order to their own meaning. I have some with contrast perspectives and display how no meaning, even some with counter something intimate can seem so alien meanings, and people will try even to an audience and how something more desperately to figure out my equally foreign to an artist can seem intentions." familiar to its audience. Fontenot also takes an interest in "The Place This Is" will be on what he calls the "darker side of the display through June 1 at Salt Lake craft world," which he articulates Art Center. For hours and more through an interest in political information about the exhibit, as well assassins and serial killers. One of his as the artist, visit www.SLArtCenter. pieces is rather grandiloquently titled org. "THE PLACE THIS IS" WILL BE ON DISPLAY THROUGH JUNE 1 AT SALT LAKE ART CENTER WWW.SLARTCENTER.ORG |