A Novel Approach
“To come to the end of a time of anxiety
and fear! To feel the cloud that hung over us lift and disperse—the cloud that
dulled the heart and made happiness no more than a memory! This at least is one
joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.”
― Richard Adams,
from Watership Down
“…I like to think that, along with my
synopses of the story, this collaboration is not unlike a bunch of rabbits
using their skills to find a new home.” -Craig
Joseph, from his curator statement
EXHIBIT: Watership Down – new work by Joseph
Close, and themed jewelry by Jess Kinsinger of Sassyfrass, at Cyrus Custom
Framing, 2645 Cleveland Avenue NW, Canton, THROUGH AUGUST 1, 2015
I really can’t
recall a local gallery exhibit that has engaged me more, on multiple levels,
than this one. In that respect I’ve seen comparable shows and most of those,
interestingly enough, were at Translations Gallery, formerly located on
Cleveland Avenue in the arts district. So it’s not surprising to see the
continued curatorial role of Translations director Craig Joseph in this
collection of new pieces (2D and 3D) by Joseph Close.
This time around,
Close presents some 50 works (and an additional 17 preparatory drawings)
inspired by English author Richard Adams’ 1972 novel, Watership Down. It’s the allegorical tale of a group of rabbits
fleeing the imminent destruction of their warren and their tempestuous
adventures in establishing a new home. Their world has an elaborate culture,
language and mythology all its own, and the book often brings to mind the epic
quest themes we encounter in the classical writings of Homer and Virgil.
The act of
“illustrating” a written story can be a daunting and certainly subjective
business, calling for an artist to generate imagery that hopefully harmonizes
with the narrative zeitgeist. The challenge is in how best to “bring the words to life” - to support and,
ideally, enhance their credibility. Curiously enough, one example of an
unsatisfying outcome is the 1978 animated film version of Watership Down, written and directed by Martin Rose, and wisely
provided for viewing in this exhibit. You’ll notice that the renderings of the
rabbit characters have all the cartoony punch of vintage movies like Bambi, which I find to be strangely
disconnected from the edgy nature of this particular story. That said, it’s
worth noting that that nature is
effectively present in the stylized moodiness of the film’s static background
shapes and colors.
Mr. Close’s 2D interpretations
might have taken a few cues from those backgrounds in terms of his extensive
employment of brooding analogous colors, as if misted twilight or darker night
has befallen most of the scenes he depicts. I can understand how some viewers,
initially unfamiliar with the story while imagining fluffy rabbits romping
through lush green meadows and sun-dappled woodlands, might find his treatments
a bit on the dark side.
Yet for all of
that, Close’s fluid and expressive drawing style (bolstered by a dazzling variety
of mark-making techniques), his observational acumen, and his eye for
activating a picture plane with well-placed accents of light and texture, all
combine to imbue these visions with dramatic depth. Eschewing the formulaic,
Disneyesque pleasantries of anthropomorphized animals, Close’s creatures are
efficacious renderings of palpable vivacity and real volatility, whether as
pictures or sculptures, as in “Attempted Truce.” It’s an imposing, even
startling totem, comprised of found objects and materials (including an ornate
head covering that suggests a kind of armor), representing a rabbit fiercely
standing his ground.
Two other elements
of this exhibit contribute significantly to appreciating its collaborative aspects.
Curator Craig Joseph has written a sequenced synopsis, his astute texts mounted
on numbered (1 through 49) placards that accompany each piece. Viewers who
haven’t read the book can easily grasp the gist of the story. And then there’s
the matter of overall presentation. The framed works under glass take on a spectacular,
elegant dimensionality thanks to the brilliant design sensibilities of Cyrus
Framing owner Christian Harwell. His unusually contoured (“carved,” in a way)
matting treatments give the pieces a sculpted feel, angling the pictures within
their frames to heighten their sense of energy and motion. Clearly an art in
itself.
Watership Down has an uplifting finale.
The last two works in the sequence leave us on an optimistic note of both tenderness
and apotheosis. One is a soft portrait of the farm girl, Lucy, cradling the
heroic Hazel after saving him from being killed by a cat. The end piece, “The
Black Rabbit Comes for Hazel,” is a free-standing, wide arch of curved metal
pieces – thin and sleek despite their rusty patina, as if soaring through the
air. It’s a wonderfully distilled abstraction symbolizing Hazel leaving his
tired body to be welcomed into the spirit realm.
Of all the shows
by Joseph Close that I’ve seen through the years, this one is quite simply the
most compelling to date. And you don’t need to have first read the novel that
prompted his marvelous interpretations to savor the sheer thrill of looking at
them.
PHOTOS (from top) courtesy Craig Joseph:
Fiver’s Vision at the Sign Post (#1
in the synopsis); Holly Arrives in the
Night (#2); Bigwig Reports to Kehaar (#34);
El-Ahrairah and Rowsby Woof (#40); Attempted Truce (#42)
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