The Palette
14 WHAT’S INSIDE THE BOX? 15 “OR DOES IT EXPLODE? 16 KNIGHT ARTS WINNER: THE OPTICS OF MEMORY
THE AKRON ART SCENE
Understanding the art on this month's cover, in the artist's own words by Deborah Shapiro, special to The Devil Strip NOTE: The following has been adapted from artist Deborah Shapiro’s blog, which detailed her thinking behind the creation of “Political Quagmire”, which adorns our cover this month. We’ve edited for clarity and space, but not content. You can see “Political Quagmire” in person through mid-February in the Fresh Show at the Summit Artspace. See more of Deborah’s work by visiting her website at deborahshapiroart.com
I created “Political Quagmire” in July of 2016. That’s important to note because new issues were popping up everyday during the primaries. The day I was about to apply the finish, news stories came out about Russia’s involvement with our candidates. So in the upper corner, I added a tiny printed word “Russia”. Had I made this today, it would certainly be much larger.
Being in my fifties, I’ve lived through several presidential elections. This one is like no other. Everyday there seems to be something new to discuss and not necessarily something beneficial regarding the problems facing our country and how the candidates plan on solving them. Adding to all the craziness, the mainstream media and social media are adding fuel to the fire.
“Political Quagmire” is the fifth piece in my leg series and it represents the choices the American voter faced in the 2016 presidential election.
• The woman represents the voter and the choices she faces.
fears and gobs more.
• The blue dress is for the Democrats, the red shoes are for the Republicans.
You’ll also see an Indian Head nickle on the chair, which reflects the history of our country
• The downturned flag represents the sad state of this political season. • The bird represents Bernie. He’s flying away because when I made this, it was obvious he wasn’t the likely Democratic candidate. • The pen in her hand represents a possible write-in vote. • The drops of green ink from the pen represents third party candidates including the Green and Libertarian parties.
and where we started. On the right edge is a question mark, which is me questioning the sanity of the campaigns and of our choices. That is not visible on this flat image. It needs to be seen in person, to be able to read what’s on the sides of the canvas. Prints are available, but some of the fine print near the top will be hard to read in the smaller sized prints.
The background is made up of words and sentences regarding mostly Clinton and Trump. There are a lot, but here is a sample: Minimum wage debate, the first (representing Hillary as the first female candidate of a major party), law on the border, barring people on the basis
of religion, Muslim immigrants, Latino voters, So, as a statement about this election cycle, I Hillary accepting money from Goldman Sachs, created this piece. Here’s what to look for in the Trump saying he should shoot someone on fifth big picture: avenue and wouldn’t lose voters, exploiting
// Collage artist Deborah Shapiro stumbled onto her style after having major jaw surgery in 2013 and looking through magazines as she recovered. She was drawn to the colors and thought about how she could use that as “paint”. Her collages are made with ripped and cut bits of paper from magazines to encourage the viewer to study the details that comprise the main subjects of her art, which itself reflects her love of animals and the everyday experiences of her “middleaged, midwest suburban life.” Before collages, she was a corporate videographer for more than 35 years and in that time made fewer than 10 pieces of art with oils and acrylics. She lives in Bath Township with her cameraman husband, two dogs and a cat. All are rescues, she notes, except for the husband. Get updates on her work and exhibitions at facebook.com/ deborahshapiroart
TURN THE PAGE: THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF HI-FRUCTOSE AKRON ART MUSEUM • FEBRUARY 11 – MAY 7, 2017
Wim Delvoye, Cement Truck (detail), 2010, laser-cut stainless steel, 32 x 78 x 17 in., Courtesy of the Artist and Galerie Perrotin © Studio Wim Delvoye
C ALH O UN CHARITABLE TRUST
Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose is organized by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Generous funding is provided by the City of Virginia Beach, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, as well as other MOCA supporters. Its presentation in Akron is supported by Ohio Arts Council, the Calhoun Charitable Trust, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs and the Akron / Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau. Media sponsorshipPictured is providedabove: by Western Reserve PBS and 91.3 The Summit. Karen Starr, Jonathan Morschl and Anita Marron, some of the
creative visionaries behind the PorchRokr festival. (Michelle DeShon / The Devil Strip) PorchRokr designed by Anita Marron. One South High I The Akron, OH logo 44308 I AkronArtMuseum.org (Image courtesy of Anita Marron / The Devil Strip)
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
FEBRUARY 2017 • VOL 3 • ISSUE #2 /
THE Devil Strip |
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