Beautiful conceptual art is a rarity. But in Arcadia University's group show "A Closer Look 7," Linda Yun's Incident--made from a fan, a light, mylar strips and other found materials--is both visually appealing and concept-driven. And the rest of the show is no different.
"A Closer Look 7," guest-curated by Temple Gallery Exhibitions Director Sheryl Conkelton, features six artists who previously showed work in the suburban college's biennial "Works on Paper" exhibits. Yun, Phillip Adams, James Johnson, Lucy Pullen and collaborators Marcia Kocot and Tom Hatton are all conceptual artists whose aesthetically sparse works combine for a quiet show. Looking alone won't help you determine the motivation behind these works. You'll need your own dose of creative thinking.
Yun, a Vox Populi member, creates a meditative work that should be less than the sum of its parts. The ordinary materials aren't traditionally beautiful, but the reflected light on the walls and floor and the sound of the undulating gold mylar strips are captivating.
Incident--in the gallery's far corner--is perfectly sited. Coming upon the piece after rounding the partition wall the piece is an unexpected delight.
Absence is a major theme in the show. Yun's work is about creating beauty from the absence of beauty. Lucy Pullen's three gestural curlicues of steam-bent ash, each titled "Hole," suggest the real work of art is not the wood she's shaped but the emptiness encircled by the wood. James Johnson's "House" continues the theme by focusing his work on a lack of trust. Mini windows and a door cut into the partition wall hide a pink neon sign that reads "I can give you everything you want." The words bring to mind the predatory lending practices of banks and mortgage companies, a hot topic in today's society.
For many years Marcia Kocot and Tom Hatton's work has been concerned with absence of competition and the absence of complete consciousness while making art. The couple, known for their nocturnal drawings made while partially asleep, are showing digital photos of their bedside clock. Taken in the wee hours, the fuzzy pictures of 3:17 and 12:55.
Realist portraits by Phillip Adams depict three young hipsters: Sara, Chase and Wil, all wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses. Delicately drawn in charcoal on paper, the trio's uniformly unsmiling visages lack affect. These people are absent from the rich world reflected in their glasses.
As a show about beauty and absence "A Closer Look 7" rides the zeitgeist like an experienced traveler.
For more on the Philadelphia art scene go to http://fallonandrosof.blogspot.com
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