Bride of The Far Side at Post Times
Post Times Gallery’s exhibition Bride of The Far Side is an eclectic show that foregrounds kitschy, offbeat, often highly saturated paintings and sculptures imbued with humor and overabundance.
Rather than a press release, the show is accompanied by a poem by Morgan Ritter, which contains the phrase “throwing goop into the heat”. Many of the works in the show are made of mixed media, allowing the artists to enact this metaphor of "throwing goop" literally.
Tamara Gonzales’ painting Orange Tabby consists of acrylic, glitter, and other collage elements. It is childlike: acrylic handprints provide patterning to the cat with triangle eyelashes and rectangle whiskers. The painting is excessive, full of physical and conceptual "goop".
Likewise, Marnie Weber’s Log Lady & Dirty Bunny, features a sculpture of a human-sized bunny-man with pink eyes, cocked ears, and an oversized bow sitting patiently atop a log from which a woman’s face emerges. As with Gonzales’ contribution, this work overflows with excess materials, textures, and symbols.
Even when works in the show are not mixed media, they employ excess. Constance Tenvik’s acrylic painting High Tea is a brightly colored painting that teems with activity, people, patterned clothing, decadent jello and cakes, and an ornate floor. These elements illustrate a colorful scene that walks the line between kitsch and fine art.
Bride of The Far Side at Post Times
Post Times Gallery’s exhibition Bride of The Far Side is an eclectic show that foregrounds kitschy, offbeat, often highly saturated paintings and sculptures imbued with humor and overabundance.
Rather than a press release, the show is accompanied by a poem by Morgan Ritter, which contains the phrase “throwing goop into the heat”. Many of the works in the show are made of mixed media, allowing the artists to enact this metaphor of "throwing goop" literally.
Tamara Gonzales’ painting Orange Tabby consists of acrylic, glitter, and other collage elements. It is childlike: acrylic handprints provide patterning to the cat with triangle eyelashes and rectangle whiskers. The painting is excessive, full of physical and conceptual "goop".
Likewise, Marnie Weber’s Log Lady & Dirty Bunny, features a sculpture of a human-sized bunny-man with pink eyes, cocked ears, and an oversized bow sitting patiently atop a log from which a woman’s face emerges. As with Gonzales’ contribution, this work overflows with excess materials, textures, and symbols.
Even when works in the show are not mixed media, they employ excess. Constance Tenvik’s acrylic painting High Tea is a brightly colored painting that teems with activity, people, patterned clothing, decadent jello and cakes, and an ornate floor. These elements illustrate a colorful scene that walks the line between kitsch and fine art.
After experiencing the bizarre artworks in Post Times, one is left questioning: Who is this bride? Are these pieces her collection, her story, her self-portraits? Is there a single bride, or do all these works embody her fragmented identity? The quote from the poem, “She’s making a world from work and play of junkyard archival salad education,” seems fitting – perhaps we’re witnessing what she sought after marriage, lost in an eclectic, dissociative dreamscape, hinting at detachment from an unhappy reality. Yet, the show’s true narrative remains unclear – if one even exists at all. In the end, it’s just goop.
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ReplyDeleteI think you do a great job capturing the chaotic and playful energy of the show. Your descriptions are super visual and make the work easy to picture. I especially like how you used the phrase “throwing goop into the heat” to tie everything together. It connects the poem to the work in a clever way and gives your commentary a strong theme. The way you describe the mix of materials and over-the-top visuals really brings out the personality of the show. I think overall your review is engaging and matches the vibe of the show perfectly.
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