24 Works on Paper Exhibition Catalog

A COLL ABOR ATIVE EXHIBITION FROM THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS OF OKL AHOMA & OKL AHOMA VISUAL ARTS COALITION

2 4 W O R K S . O R G

CURATOR’S STATEMENT As a juror, I have two tasks: select the best work, but also select the works that will make the best show. I enjoy the first part of the jurying process very viscerally, as I have strong opinions and reactions. Every time I do it, I am impressed by artists’ ability to create expressive and engaging work without resorting to cliché or repetition. Each of the works in this show speaks to universal human emotions—which does not mean, of course, that they always speak universally.

The second part of my task, to form these disparate works into a show that makes visual and thematic sense as a whole, is a more meditative, intellectual process. After narrowing the potential inclusions down to about 50 works, I asked myself, where are the connections between all these works?

Based on the objects in front of me, might I say anything conclusive about Oklahoma artists working with paper today?

Every juror regrets having to leave some works out, but I believe that out of the chaos of submissions, I have put together a group of works that speak to one another, augmenting the impact of each. This dialogue was created at the expense of some excellent work that just didn’t fit into my vision. At the end of the day, entering a juried show is like being ambushed by an unexpected collaboration: with your fellow artists as well as with the juror.

I didn’t end up with firm categories or conclusions about the works in this show, but I did see some clear affinities. Realism and representation are strong visual elements, although they are balanced by an equally strong tendency toward abstraction. Figurative work seems to dominate the former category, while landscape underlies much of the latter. Collage appears across the board, and often serves to politicize its subject matter. Several pieces pointedly take on nostalgia and the past, challenging its romanticization even as they revel in the past’s aesthetic appeal.

So what can I say about this exhibition, at the end of the process? First, no artist is represented by more than one work—I want to emphasize the breadth of outstanding work being created across the state. And second, the work in this show reflects a more general trend in the arts toward eclecticism. Artists today are resourceful, turning to the strategies, materials, and images they need without regard for trends, critical proclamations, or academic theories. I have been honored to have been invited by IAO and OVAC to collaborate with all of the artists who submitted work to 24 Works on Paper this year, and I especially thank the 24 artists in the show for their amazing work.

LOUISE SIDDONS, PH.D. // STILLWATER, OK

VENUES JULY 15-AUGUST 5, 2011: Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, Oklahoma City

SEPTEMBER 2011: Northern Oklahoma College, Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, Tonkawa

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011: Rose State College, Midwest City

JANUARY 2012: East Central University, Shirley Pogue Art Gallery, Ada

APRIL 2012: Tulsa Artists’ Coalition, Tulsa

MAY-JUNE 2012: Leslie Powell Foundation and Gallery, Lawton

JULY-AUGUST 2012: Oklahoma State University, Gardiner Art Gallery, Stillwater

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2012: Redlands Community College, El Reno

For more detailed exhibition information, visit www.24Works.org.

MJ ALEXANDER // MJALEXANDER.COM Independence Day may be viewed as a post-9/11 mash-up of the realms evoked by Norman Rockwell’s World War II-era Four Freedoms and by René Magritte’s surrealist The Son of Man. Four star-shaped balloons serve as de facto heads and minds, obscuring the children’s unique characteristics and blocking individual viewpoints to create a faceless homogeneity at odds with the title of the piece and the spirit of the holiday. Or…it simply may be viewed as a quirky family portrait. Photographed July 4, 2010, Oklahoma City.

M.J. Alexander, Oklahoma City Independence Day Silver halide print on metallic paper, 12” x 18”

NARCISO ARGÜELLES // NARCISOARGUELLES.COM La Virgen de Guadalupe is a digital print on watercolor paper. It is an image I have used before and there is a reason; this is an important image to Mexican people. While others see this as a decorative image, it is a spiritual icon. According to Roman Catholics, “La Virgen” is the Virgin Mary who appeared as an Indigenous woman in Mexico. With this image, I hope to honor and celebrate the Mexican culture.

Narciso Argüelles, Edmond Virgen de Guadalupe Digital print on watercolor paper, 22” x 28”

MARILYN ARTUS // MARILYNARTUS.COM They say create what you know. I find my journey through life as a woman one of my greatest curiosities. I am trying to define what it means to be a woman or an aspect of the female persona and how our experiences are unique from men. I find it especially meaningful that I include a skill that is generally practiced by women only - embroidery. My work is often very whimsical and disturbing all at the same time.

Marilyn Artus, Oklahoma City The Mew Version Makes All The Difference Mixed media collage, 8” x 10”

SARAH ATLEE // SARAHATLEE.COM Lunch: Sakagura is a scene of a decadent meal I had at a Japanese restaurant in New York City. The image evokes my memories of my visit there and the company I was with. I don’t normally work with traditional still lifes, but occasionally I revisit observational drawing, to enjoy the pleasure of rendering form and texture in a realistic manner. Lunch was made with acrylic washes and Prismacolor pencil.

Sarah Atlee, Oklahoma City Lunch: Sakagura Acrylic & Prismacolor pencil on paper, 22” x 22”

KJELSHUS COLLINS // KJELSHUSHC.COM I believe the mariners of old were some of the toughest men on Earth; months at sea, hard tack and grog for dinner, plus Norwegian rats crawling all over the ships. Scrimshaw was an amazing art form originating on whaling boats as relaxing entertainment during downtime. I figure that a sailor that has the scrimshawed teeth would be the saltiest of salty seadogs.

Kjelshus Collins, Oklahoma City They Call Him Scrimshaw Linocut on Arches paper, 18” x 24”

BRYAN COOK // BRYANCOOKPHOTO.COM Kegon Falls are located in Tochigi Prefecture, about 100 miles north of Tokyo. Misao Fujimura, a high school student distraught after being rejected by a lover, traveled to the falls in 1903 where he inscribed a poem on a tree then jumped to his death. More than 200 people have since committed suicide at Kegon no Taki.

Bryan Cook, Mustang Kegon No Taki Photography, 11” x 14”

SARAH DAY-SHORT // SARAHDAYSHORTART.DAPORTFOLIO.COM When I created this work on paper I treated it like a stronger material such as wood which can stand up to much more scratching and sanding. Paper is really quite fragile, so I enjoy manipulating the surface to make it look like something else. The layers of ink act like different parts of a story. This self-portrait tells my story. I hate cold weather; the rest of the story is up to you.

Sarah Day-Short, Edmond Oh the Cold Mixed media screenprint & drawing, 10.5” x 14”

YIREN GALLAGHER // YIRENGALLAGHER.COM I was intrigued by the images captured in this Jim Morrison song.

Legs furiously pumping Their stiff green gallop And heads bob up Poise Delicate Pause Consent...

Yiren Gallagher, Tulsa, Horse Latitude, Oil and collage, 11” x 16”

There are many restrictions born of adhering to a storyline. Instead, I created this piece quickly, yet deliberately, as to accurately capture the moment of truth. In regards to despair and death, I have accepted that there is not much more I can do than let my thoughts sink into the still sea.

SCOTT JOHNSON // SCOTTDJOHNSONART.COM The drawing titled I Remember is part of an ever-growing series of work that explores the effects that time has on technology. This piece presents the viewer with a graphite representation of a console television which stands ever so proudly in a world of abandonment. It allows viewers to construct or recall narratives based upon their own personal experiences.

Scott Johnson, Holdenville I Remember Graphite & shellac on paper, 14” x 20”

MICHELLE JUNKIN // MICHELLEJUNKINCERAMICS.BLOGSPOT.COM This work is inspired by the color of the red dirt of Oklahoma and the 55,646 miles of shoreline along lakes and ponds.

The weathered layering of paint evokes the feeling of history as the colors interplay to create a modern landscape built around collaged magazine scraps to convey that Oklahoma is not stagnant.

Rather, both our state and our people, are living in the hopeful vibrancy of today’s modern age and are ready to embrace all that the future holds with pride, our pioneering spirit, and the wisdom of ages past by our side.

Michelle Junkin, Edmond Oklahoma Treasure: A little bit modern & a little bit vintage Mixed media, 22” x 22”

TRENT LAWSON // TRENTLAWSON.NET Three in the Bush is a work created as part of [Artspace] at Untitled’s Monothon. It is a ghost print from a collagraph I made with gesso on canvas. As with what is typical of my work, I then used the randomly created lines to form the basis of my imagery. The red was added and then some shading to bring out the forms which was applied with a cloth to add more texture.

Trent Lawson, Oklahoma City Three in the Bush Monotype, 14.5” x 18.5”

MONIKA LINEHAN The human figure plays a central role in all my artwork, conveying emotions and lending a narrative quality to my images. The Shy Girl, one of a series of pastel figure drawings created from the model, focuses on the sensuous beauty of the human form. The colors are intentionally rich, vibrant, and enhanced to emphasize this sensuousness and the voluptuous form. The title, The Shy Girl, implies a sense of modesty.

Monika Linehan, Lawton The Shy Girl Pastel, 19.5” x 27.5”

KATHERINE LIONTAS-WARREN // KATHERINELIONTAS.COM I am influenced and inspired by artists of the American Regionalism movement, such as Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, and Alexander Hogue. These influences are combined with a unique blend of personal metaphors, experiences, and regional inspirations from my life. While creating lithographs, I prefer to work in black and white to celebrate the graphic history of early illustration.

Stone lithography best describes my narrative and personal imagery as an honest depiction of storytelling with mysterious and surreal connotations.

Katherine Liontas-Warren, Lawton, Who Sees Who?, Stone lithograph, 20” x 8”

JEAN LONGO // JEANLONGO.COM In my photographs, I strive to capture the world in moments when it appears abstract. I concentrate as much on color and texture as on the image, and print on thick watercolor paper to enhance the depth.

This particular photograph, selected from a series, is deliberately reminiscent of images published in the journal Camera Work (1903-17), most especially those by Alvin Langdon Coburn and Robert Demachy.

Jean Longo, Oklahoma City Winter Morning Fog Pigment print on Rives BFK, 8” x 8”

REBECCA LOWBER-COLLINS In 1932 my mother, Corine Jones, was 16 and an aspiring pianist, living on a farm in Cordell, Oklahoma. Times were hard, she wanted a piano of her own, but there wasn’t money for one, much less lessons. Being determined, she talked her mother into letting her sell eggs, as they had ‘Plenty.’ She got a used upright, and taught herself to sing and play. Many families in Washita County found themselves the recipients of her hard work, love and music, and having ‘Plenty’ to share.

Rebecca Lowber-Collins, Oklahoma City Plenty Monotype, 22” x 18”

CYNTHIA MARCOUX I worked for many years in photography, but since I’ve retired it’s given me more time to spend cultivating my interest in drawing. I work in realism, mostly colored pencil. Beyond that, all I can say is that ideas for drawings pop into my head and I give them life. There are no deep, existential themes in my work – I just draw what I like.

Cynthia Marcoux, Tulsa Illustration of the Infinite Monkey Theorem Colored pencil, 16” x 20”

TIFFANY McKNIGHT // TLMCKNIGHT.DAPORTFOLIO.COM Deep-sea photos of organisms often inspire me. The translucency and biomorphic forms of sea, and microorganisms highly influence the organic forms. Art Nouveau posters, bioluminescence, and the vibrancy of aerial photographs and the cosmos influence my chosen palettes. With that said, I wanted to enhance my screen prints by incorporating multiple colors. I hand drew 4 separate drawings, and combined all 16 drawings into 4 transparencies to form one unique ‘organism’.

Tiffany McKnight, Norman Aquatic Cross-Sections Drawing, serigraphy, 15” x 24”

CHAD MOUNT // TRIBALBOT.COM Observation of the natural world around me infused with my own sense of optimism and curiosity are critical elements that make up my art.

Curiosity is a ubiquitous theme throughout my art. This is true of how I approach the creation as well as what I want to invoke within the viewer. My paintings are analogous to snapshots. A framed concentrated moment in time, capturing a mere glimpse of a much more prodigious ongoing exchange of activity.

Chad Mount, Oklahoma City Wish You Were Acrylic, graphite, colored pencil on paper, 22” x 28”

ROMY OWENS // ROMYOWENS.COM I created this piece quite spontaneously, without any planning. It incorporates pieces from ten different photographs. This piece, river phoenix, is representative of a shift in my process, away from straight lines, 90º angles, exactitude. After I finished sewing this piece, I named it after River Phoenix, mostly because I adored him while he was alive, and I adore this construction. It is entirely sewn together by hand. And I created it with 24 works on paper in mind.

Romy Owens, Oklahoma City river phoenix Photographs and thread, 18” x 13”

LAUREL REYNOLDS // DL25.COM I started photographing “Barbie,” et. al., after my interest was peaked by a documentary about the doll. I was fascinated about the toy being the first doll for girls that wasn’t an actual baby doll; an iconic symbol of independence for young girls embarking upon womanhood. The work involves creating interesting textures and designs using paint or other media and marrying it with photography.

Laurel Reynolds, Oklahoma City Daydreamer Photography and acrylic, 18” x 11 7/8”

PAUL WALSH // BLUERIVERART.COM Most often in architectural painting the building is most important element with the trees taking a secondary role. In this painting I thought it would be interesting to give the tree center stage and relegate the building to a dark backdrop.

Paul Walsh, Roff January Maple Tempera, 6” x 9”

TOM WESTER // MADHATTER62.NET Through abstract expressionism I am trying to combine the art work with a meditative practice. I let the violence of the pencil scribbled create a texture on the paper. Lines intersecting in bold ways then fade back to the background. By observing my work the viewer meditates on the piece as well. This makes a converse from the viewer back through time to myself, at the works creation.

Tom Wester, Oklahoma City Meditation No. 47 Drawing mediums, 24” x 18”

BETTY WOOD As an artist, my interest in natural history, the environment, and its preservation provides the motivation for using nature’s discarded items in the design process. Quilt Fence focuses the viewer’s attention on a fleeting glimpse of nature as they travel through the landscape. Using nature as a starting point, inspiration, and source comments on the relationship between nature and humanity.

Betty Wood, Norman, Quilt Fence, Etching, 22” x 28”

MAY YANG // ELECTROFERVOR.NET Follow the Leader is a study done for a new body of work dealing with Eastern and Western astrology as it pertains to identity. This piece in particular explores “the natural leadership” of Aries the ram.

May Yang, Tulsa Follow the Leader Mixed media, 15” x 22”

SPONSORS

ISTVAN GALLERY RED RIVER PHOTO SERVICES TOOTHBRUSHER’S DENTAL SHANNON CLAIRE & CLINT STONE IN-KIND SERVICES PROVIDED BY HORNY TOAD FINE ART SERVICES.

ABOUT IAO AND OVAC

The Individual Artists of Oklahoma is committed to sustaining and encouraging emerging and established artists in all media who are intellectually and aesthetically provocative or experimental in subject matter or technique.

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The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is a non-profit organization that supports visual arts and artists and their power to enrich communities. OVAC achieves this mission through publications, education, exhibitions and Oklahoma’s largest online gallery.

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