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Title: Ellen Gallagher: Preserve by Ellen Gallagher, Jeff Fleming, Robin D. G. Kelley ISBN: 1-879003-34-1 Publisher: Des Moines Art Center Pub. Date: 15 August, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)
Rating: 4
Summary: Play Space
Comment: "Preserve" is a gorgeous production, a catalog of work created by Ellen Gallagher in 2000 and 2001 and presented by The Des Moines Art Center. This exhibition is a dramatic departure from her previous paintings. It consists of 25 small collages and a large sculptural construction that is inspired by the jungle gym on a child's playground. Each collage is a full page color plate and is printed on heavy matte paper stock. There is also a black and white section of photographs illustrating details of the sculpture. The one flaw in the book is technical. The paper stock that lent itself so well to the works on paper was not exactly the best choice for the sculpture. The images are not as sharp and readable as they would be on glossy paper. In the exhibition catalog for Gallagher's "Watery Ecstatic", the drawings were printed on matte stock and the paintings on glossy paper which best showed their color and detail. That would have been the best solution here. It is sufficient though. The intricate sculpture is well documented from all angles.
This exhibition is an exploration into new areas for Gallagher so be prepared for a shift in her direction. It's a healthy sign and the work is well executed. It may not be a smooth transition for the audience. The political and social messages about race and identity have always been woven into her tapestry of images but here it is not as subtle. Instead of the poetic form and almost minimalist restraint of the previous work, these are frantic compositions which combine collage and painted images. The penmanship paper is replaced with advertisements for wigs taken from black photo magazines, such as Ebony, Our World, and Black Stars, published between the 1950s and the 1970s. The pages are stressed with various materials including coconut oil and reorganized in a way that twists or reverses their impact. These works are more literal and representational than they have been in the past. Her trademark humor, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, is present and accounted for. Is "preserve" also a play on the word "perverse"? The three dimensional jungle gym, which is the focal point of the exhibition, is the artist's first major sculptural work, and seems closely related to her paintings. The connections are explained in depth in the full length essays contributed by Jeff Fleming, Robin D.G. Kelley, Catherine de Zegher.
Catherine de Zegher's article abandons the traditional form of art criticism and instead delves into the same history that Ellen Gallagher explored when she made this work. de Zegher explains that in making "Preserve", the artist studied her subjects, examined the history of the jungle gym and it's political implications, and read the magazines that provided her constructed wig ladies. She followed in the artist's footsteps in preparation for writing the essay. As a result, she renders Gallagher more accessible and connects us to the work in a context that is fitting, considering the theme of the exhibition. The commentary and drawings in this book establish Ellen Gallagher as conceptual artist and social commentator, as well as a gifted painter. It is not possible or desirable here, to escape the messages in her work. Although I must admit, I usually avoid mixing politics with my paint and I prefer the previous work visually, I am still fascinated by her powerful story telling ability and interested to see where she goes next. The ability to push the envelope without losing the audience is admirable. "Preserve" is a wonderful companion to Jessica Morgan's catalog titled "Ellen Gallagher", which I would recommend over this one as an introduction to Gallagher's work. This worthy collection, although strong, appears to be in a transitional stage.
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Title: Ellen Gallagher by Jessica Morgan, Robert Storr, Greg Tate, Ellen Gallagher, Jill Medvedow ISBN: 1891024310 Publisher: Distributed Art Publishers Pub. Date: 15 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Vitamin P by Barry Schwabsky ISBN: 071484246X Publisher: Phaidon Press Inc. Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $69.95 |
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Title: Ellen Gallagher: Blubber by Ellen Gallagher, Beth Coleman ISBN: 188015451X Publisher: Gagosian Gallery Pub. Date: August, 2001 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Ellen Gallagher by Thyrza Nichols Goodeve, Thyrza Nichols Goodeve ISBN: 0947564845 Publisher: Anthony D'Offay Gallery Pub. Date: 15 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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