meredith cutler :: arts marketing :: artist

My picks from the RISD Graduate Thesis Exhibition (on view at the Rhode Island Convention Center until June 1st) will be posted over the next several days, due to the fact that the show is enormous and I must return to give proper attention to each department's top talent.

This morning's post is focused on the Textile department's 2008 MFA candidates. Weaver Michael Radyk explores the revelatory and veiling properties of the woven textile form through experimentation with a variety of modern fibers. His large wall hanging, "Swan Point", best exemplifies this direction.

Unlike the flanking pieces, underwhelming efforts with the plastic cord commonly known as "gimp" (ubiquitous to summer camp craft projects), that brought to mind the now widely popular Chilewich placemats, "Swan Point" expertly utilizes materials to express information on several levels, both physically and conceptually. Finely woven from recycled polyester, coat vinyl and nylon, the underlying structure resembles an ancient scroll, coded in modern braille. As if to signify an organic transition from written record to ancient relic, hairy fiber tufts sprout from the grid in a cascading pallete of papyrus neutrals and stony grey.

On the representational and functional side of textiles, Natalie Wright displayed an 8'x11' section of digitally printed wallpaper depicting a complex family portrait originally compiled from 80 individual drawings.

The stylized portraits retain an informal, snapshot quality, while the high-contrast black and white design pushes back at the viewer, negating the staid, environmental comfort of wallpaper. As much as I enjoy this type of work, I wished to see this design realized in different colorways, either more daring or diffuse.

Stay tuned for more mini reviews as I swing through the departmental roster...

Friday sneaks up on you, which is no reason to cover your eyes and shriek. High gas prices have kept me a bit closer to home this week, and in my wanderings I've turned out a few Providence tidbits for your easy consumption.

For those who prefer one-stop shopping, hop on your jalopy and bike on down to Olneyville for a weekend of events at The Steel Yard. As part of their annual fundraiser, a full menu of celebratory events and competitions of kiln and foundry peaks with a "Steel Yard Is Burning" dance party on Saturday night.

DownCity, drop by the Gallery at 17 Peck for their special 3rd Anniversary exhibit and sale, pending their June move to a brand-spanking new location on Federal Hill. Particularly stunning: Malcom Furlow's acidicly edgy Coyote paintings.

Above: Malcolm Furlow: "Coyote In Providence", Acrylic on canvas 30"x36"

Across the "way" at 75 Weybosset, fit yourself with some sexy frames at Providence Optical. Now that you can see clearly, step up the winding staircase to Above Providence Optical Gallery, for a glimpse of "Your Idols", a series of close-cropped portraiture prints by Philipp Rumpf.

Opening tomorrow at Gail Cahalan Gallery, photographer Alexandra Broches' "The Natural World Redefined". Her "design-inspired", black and white prints feature collections of fragile, natural materials such as feathers, bone and eggshells. Broches will give a gallery talk on May 21st, 6:30pm. The show runs through June 7th.

The calendar page has turned, which brings an exciting new crop of gallery shows to focus those springtime wanderings. Time it right and you'll hit an opening reception, all the better to fulfil your early evening aperitif needs!

Make sure to visit 5 Traverse Gallery, where tomorrow evening, Rhode Island artist Allison Paschke will be opening a new exhibition of her mixed-media works in porcelain, cast-resin and layered pigments. Named after imaginary cities described in author Italo Calvino's 1972 novel: "Invisible Cities", Paschke's "Portable Pieces" invite handling and exploration; an adventure required to unlock the magical, invented spaces insinuated within their modest materials.

Above: Allison Paschke's "Despina", (7.25" x 5" x rice paper, varnish and pigment

Visitors to 5 Traverse will have a chance to encounter Paschke's newest work, scaled back into the "second and a half" dimension, which incorporates a bolder tier of the spectrum to invoke the quiet, imaginary perspectives inherent in the neutral pallete of her 3-D work.

Above: Allison Paschke's "Tabriz Study 1", (7" x 7"), resin and pigments on Mylar

Click here to read my full review, available in print in the May/June issue of Artscope Magazine. The exhibition will be on view from May 9th through June 14th.

On view in the Inner Space: Father and son Bill & Ben Shattuck, "2 Generations Aloft"
5 Traverse Gallery: 5 Traverse Street, Providence, RI 02906. 401.278.4968 / info@5traverse.com

Yesterday wrapped as a "less-than-stellar" studio day for me; one of those days where every project I touched turned to dust between my fingers. Rather than torching my studio and giving up art forever, I chose to boost my morale by watching this video from Aardman Animations Ltd.

In times like these, I find that a good cartoon is usually the best remedy.

Agreed, a light fortnight it has been for posting, patient readers. I've sorely missed these good times as I've been wrangling words for deadlines outside of the cozy blogosphere! Meanwhile, the veil of grey and chill has finally lifted from Providence, leaving behind a shiny blue sky and chorus of twittering birds to punctuate the sneezing of the allergy prone, as Spring swings into full bloom. I couldn't be more thrilled, because I love a good walkabout with gallery stops to fuel the way!

Providence offers its monthly Gallery Night this evening, and I can make a few suggestions, if you are so inclined to join in the fun. All of these shows will be up for some time, so consider it an open invitation to grab some culture!

5 Traverse Gallery presents a dual show, featuring large and small-scale mixed media works by Neil T. Walsh (esteemed Director of AS220) and William Schaff. Don't miss Schaff's "Adrift, The Boat Series" (pictured above) in the glass case by the front window!

Above: "Do Cinderblocks Dream of Being Styrofoam?" by Shirley Tse

Also on the East Side, get a double-whammy at the RISD Museum (free to the public on Gallery Night!) To spark some conversation, they have "Evolution/Revolution", a textiles innovation and fashion show on the upper level, and the concise and environmentally controversial "Styrofoam" show on view in the lower gallery. Take it all in at 224 Benefit Street, Providence.

Recommended Local Dining: Hungry? Grab some killer sushi at Tokyo, where the rice is small but the fish is large (as it should be). Feel free to BYOB though, as they do not offer a bar menu.