Constructing the Self . . . from page 1
The actual number of likenesses – the number of pieces that will allow you to identify the artist on the street and praise them for their sublime talents – are few. Thomas Hoffman’s monochromatic charcoal drawing is one.|1| Both the most realistically rendered and the most classic example of a portrait, the drawing shows the artist, by himself, sitting in a chair. There is something ironic about the face and posture. The portrayal is not hyped-up or overly flattering. But on the other hand, neither is it very penetrating. An artist knows him/herself better than they might any sitter, and for that reason self-portraiture is always doomed to be self-conscious. And as I think you’ll find in many of these works there is a tension between revelation and concealment, a tension most of the artist’s seem incapable of escaping. But possibly that’s the tension that makes self-portraiture interesting.
Sam Wilson’s painting features his usual array of figures from Classical and Renaissance art as well as the recurring wrinkled figure in fake Groucho Marx eye, nose and mustache. |0| If you know what to look for, or just realize that it is the only figure in the piece whose gaze you can meet, you’ll see Wilson’s likeness in the lower left corner. That’s his true likeness, but the hide and seek game going on in the rest of the painting suggests we might find more of the artist where he isn’t – apparently – than where he is.
There is no doubting where to look in Ruby Chacon’s portrait, where a larger than life, confrontational image of the artist fills almost the entire canvas. Chacon frequently deals in portraiture, painting family members and friends, and also herself in a variety of settings and guises. Her piece is titled “Undocumented” though I have a hard time understanding why since in her bio materials Chacon frequently makes a point of the fact that her ancestors were here before most of us white folks.
If you thought it would be cool to be an artist and paint a self-portrait because you could do any kind of desired plastic surgery with the slice of the brush, then you most certainly will not get Kim Martinez’s portrait. Like Chacon, Martinez is dealing with ethnic and racial stereotyping. One in a series of works depicting Latina women in positions of power, her portrait looks like a purposefully unattractive portrayal of, I assume, the artist, dressed as some type of super hero.
Identity politics has been a big issue in the visual arts in the last decade and was the impetus for a number of self-portraits, especially among minority groups. But what to do if you are a straight white male? John Erickson’s answer is to paint paint away. His face appears in many of his more recent works done in his signature fluid style. The work in this exhibit, “Here to Here Through Here,” is no exception. The familiar structure of his face is in the work, but it seems faded or obscured, blending into the background, as if, maybe we are seeing the artist’s face in the reflection of a window. An enigmatic rose is seen in the foreground and a sculpture can be seen in the background, possibly situating the artist in his profession.
That situating oneself in one’s profession (think beret, think easel, think palette and brushes) may be our most common impression of the self-portrait. Paul Heath depicts himself thus, a small likeness of his face between brushes and palette hanging beneath one of the pop interpretations of the city that are his trademark.|2| Lenka Konopasek also employs the artist brushes as attribute, but in her case they are literal brushes hanging, with a number of other objects, from a large canvas. |3| Through the forest of brushes we can make out an image of the artist, or rather, I sense, “Lenka” distanced from and obscured by her role as artist.
Other artist’s go even further in obscuring the likeness in the construction of their “self” portrait. Dorthee Martens’s piece is a shimmering cascade of safety pins that reach down and drape themselves across a pedestal. Three shiny, pristinely smooth and flat donut size discs are placed on the sheet of pins so as to represent breasts and genitalia. But the more prim of you need not worry, there is little sexy in this depiction. The cold materials make this piece distant, lacking the personal feel of what we might expect in self-revelation.
Sharon Alderman’s “It’s Personal” is the hardest piece in which to locate any personal references. A fiber based work, woven into a pleasing blend of mauve tones it is not much different from other pieces you’ll see by the artist and so it is hard to figure out what exactly is personal about it.
Whereas for this exhibit Alderman created a piece just like any of her other pieces, Anthony Siciliano, a digital and collage artist, gives us a self-portrait that surprisingly lacks the warmth found in most of his works. He usually creates collages out of old, “found” objects such as postcards and snapshots, creating a very intimate feel. For his self-portrait, Siciliano has created something drastically different in execution and tone. “Navigating the Night” shows the artist (a photograph) bare-chested, what appears to be a dunce cap but might also be seen as a nightcap on his head, holding a flashlight and standing in a small boat that is apparently floating down a back alleyway. Despite the flashlight, it is very bright in the image. An arrow-crossed heart is painted on the wall in the foreground with a teddy bear resting opposite. The overall feel, with the bright garish light and odd figure, lacks the personal warmth in Siciliano’s normal work, as if, despite revealing his torso, the artist has difficulty revealing other things about himself.
Many of these works, then, should be seen as works about the idea of self rather than necessarily the self portrayed. You will find more a revelation of the masks we wear or the compartments we live in than romantic images of the self revealed. Frank McEntire’s work, a pedestal piece, consists of a small box on top of what I take to be a stole placed in front of an old register box.|4| A placard tells us the artist invites us to touch the sculpture. Opening the register box we find inside numerous images of the artist, his wife and his family. All are generally self-conscious images, taken with the knowledge of taking. Though their general context is that of the private life of an artist there is nothing that need not be public. In other words, they are not penetrating. To penetrate, then, we look to the small box, which is adorned with a crucifix. The box, though, is sealed with wax bearing the imprint of an “M.” Though there are numerous selves for view in the account register, there is always, this piece says, a self left unspoken, a self known to God.
James Charles's work – a 3-D piece, but I hesitate to call it sculpture – really gets at the heart of the entire exhibition. “My Skin” is a latex mask of the artist’s face, which sits limp on the pedestal. The skin, the outward appearance of the artist/subject has been stripped bare to reveal that the outward appearance, that main object of the traditional artist’s interest, does not reveal anything. In the end it is simply a limp skin.
Obviously, this is only a rudimentary look at just a few of the artist in this provocative exhibit. Just know that I’ve warned you that before you go to the Main Library looking for a bunch of artists portrayed in their Sunday best, remember that the title of the exhibit is “Constructing Self” and the artists here have held to that premise. More than a representation of what they look like, the artists have examined the components, aspects, facades and faith that go into the construction of the self.
This exhibit continues through June 25th, the last day of the Utah Arts Festival.
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Special Feature
Art Festivals to Start the Summer With
Holladay's Summerdaze (June 10th)
The first event coming up this month is Holladay's Summerdaze festivities, held Saturday June 10th on the grounds of the New City Offices (4580 S. Holladay Blvd, formerly Holladay Elementary). As always, this event is family friendly and admission is free. The Holladay Summerdaze festival offers the three basics for this summer's art festivals: art, music, and kids activities.
The day’s events commence with a community breakfast sponsored and served by the City Council at 8:30 am followed by the 9:00 am start of the Arts Festival. Exhibitors will have original works for sale including sculptors, oil painters, watercolorists, glass makers, jewelers, photographers a special children’s art exhibit and even a fly-fishing booth featuring hand tied flies.
Live entertainment will begin on the Main Stage with Around the Bend Bluegrass Band at 10:00 am followed by an afternoon of international music and dance featuring Greek, Polynesian & Native American performances. The evening’s performances include: Peter Breinholt, Kelly Eisenhour & Friends and Joe Muscolino.
The Children’s midway will offer a face and hair painting station, an interactive mural, family game/competition area as well as many other amusement/activity areas. All midway activities are free. The food court will feature a variety of treats and lunch items beginning at 11:00 am.
Utah Arts Festival (June 22 - 25) The Utah Arts Festival, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year, is Utah's largest and longest festival lasting four days and featuring 130+ visual artists, 100+ performing arts groups, 18+ culinary artists and drawing 80,000 patrons each June at Library & Washington Squares.
The Festival began as the Salt Lake Festival of the Arts in 1976 and since then has more than doubled in size and after wandering for a while a few years ago, has since found a wonderful home in the heart of Salt Lake City at Library and Washington Squares.
The proximity to the Library, and its fourth floor gallery, allows the Festival to host a fine-arts exhibition (see article left column). In addition you will find some of Utah's finest artists in the booths that occupy both squares.
The Festival also has one of the best festival websites around where you can learn all you need to know about four days of art, music and food in the heart of Salt Lake City.
Tooele Arts Festival (June 23 - 24)
One valley over and happening at the same time (as the UAF) you'll find the Tooele Arts Festival in the City's Park.
It may not be as large as its counterpart to the East, but it is free and there are over eighty artists and artisans who will be displaying their wares. In addition a number of performing artists will be on hand including Salsa Brava and Carmen Rasmunsen of American Idol fame. And the theme for the Children's Art Yard this year is Around the World in Three Days.
Midway Plein Air Competition (June 27th - July 4th)
We won't go so far as to call it an arts festival, but it's a start. And for a small town and a small organization, the Midway Plein Air Competition could prove to be a big event.
In conjunction with Midway City's 4th of July Activities, the Midway Art Association, which covers the artists of Wasatch County, is sponsoring this plein-air competition and exhibition beginning June 27th. Pam Wielenmann, fundraiser and publicity chairperson for MAA says, “Our goal is to attract the statewide attention of artists and lovers of nature to our extraordinary, pastoral valley and to preserve the beauty of it through art, since we realize that development of the land is quickly changing it forever.”
The week includes three painting competitions, a July 3-4 art exhibit, and a silent art auction. The events culminate with an artist awards reception on the Fourth of July and coincide with Midway City’s Fourth of July festivities sponsored by the Midway Boosters. In addition to the week of painting around Wasatch County, artists will regroup on July 3rd and 4th for a short “Paint-out” on historic Midway Main Street.
An artist's award reception will be held July 4th, with substantial awards including a $2,000 purchase award. For more information visit their website.
Sugarhouse Street Fair (July 4th)
The Fourth of July is the day for a number of community events involving the arts. Before the evening fireworks in Sugarhouse Park, the Sugarhouse Merchants Association hosts a street fair, including music, art and food, on 11th East, South of 2100 South.
Freedom Festival (July 4th)
Utah County has its own Fourth of July Festival with Provo's Freedom Festival, which includes a fine art exhibition and artist booths.
In upcoming editions of 15 Bytes more festivals from around Utah will be spotlighted including the Park City Arts Festival, Ogden Arts Festival, Helper Arts Festival and Everett Reuss Days Plein Air Competition.
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