Artworks made of glitter glue and aluminum foil seem more suited to a kindergarten classroom than a Lower East Side gallery, but Esther Pearl Watson's work disputes this. In her solo exhibition, “Guardian of Eden” on view at Andrew Edlin Gallery, the artist creates bright, shimmering landscapes dotted with UFOs, cows, and depictions of everyday life growing up in Texas. Watson’s flat acrylic renderings, creates narrative surrounding the artist's father’s incessant attempts at creating a UFO to sell to NASA when she was growing up, and how this obsession led to a life of poverty. In “A High Frequency Sandwich - 1986” a large triangle, reminiscent of a chopped up disco ball, is pasted on top of a deep blue sky decorated with stars. In the foreground is a field dotted with cattle and flowers. Centered in the frame is a sparkling donkey covered in glitter that seems to be floating up into the UFO. The artist’s inclusion these craft-like materials and bright, punchy colors is deliberate; they create a gilded adolescent perspective to depict a time of uncertainty in her childhood that transforms into wonder and hope. Esther Pearl Watson’s work reclaims childish media and employs radiant colors, creating a tactile and enticing narrative throughout the gallery.
-Katherine DeFelice
I really enjoy your detailed description of the painting in this review, it immediately brought back memories of how I initially perceived Watson’s work in the gallery. A few comments on what you could consider editing: the phrase “an otherwise stuffy art world” was a bit distracting as I was wondering whether it is fair to reduce the vast array of contemporary work being shown currently into the word “stuffy.” Also, be sure to double check the spelling of the artist’s name in the title. Overall, this is an enjoyable review to read, especially for your use of sensory language.
ReplyDeleteYour review gave a detailed idea of what the work in this gallery looks like, an acute attention towards understanding how to peak the interest of the reader – providing visual cues through writing that immerse us in the environment. An additional strongpoint of this succinct review is the inclusion of ideological banter of the clashing responses on how Ester Pearl Watson’s work is received in a variety of climates – although not too hashed over in a way that allows the reader to have an understanding of the installation, what it looks like, and some minimal conversation towards the received perceptions – providing option to the reader.
ReplyDeleteThis review actually pulls me back to the gallery and reminds me of how I think of my childhood and the art that kids make. Personally speaking, I'm really obsessed with paintings that have bright and cute colors, depicting objects that we are not noticing anymore as adults. It would remind me all the beautiful things in the world and the childhood that we all want to embrace. I will feel happy and in love when I stand in front of these paintings. So, I do not necessarily agree with the statement that these paintings seemed more suited to kindergartens. I think these are meant to be made for people of all ages, especially adults, making us temporarily escape from all the mess in our daily lives and enjoy the power of art.
ReplyDeleteYour review really put this show into perspective, my initial thoughts of this show were pretty underwhelming. After reading this review I felt as though there was a lot more to it. While I cant say I enjoyed the art style of this show that much, after learning the meaning and intention behind the work I was able to gain much more appreciation for the creative process that went into the making of the work. I think your review does an excellent job of describing the show and helping readers either learn more or gain a greater appreciation of the work.
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