“Dia de los Muertos” humbly and lovingly depicts a typical Halloween theme.
Out of death: Jeff Kilpatrick’s "Proximidad de Usted" is inspired by Hoagy Carmichael’s “Nearness of You.”
“Dia de los Muertos” at Proximity Gallery is one of those rare art world animals—a show without conceptual bullying or delusions of grandeur. Instead, the exhibit of 43 works by members of illustrators’ collective the Autumn Society is a parade of optical pleasures and a celebration of skeletons and Day of the Dead mythology.
The works are surprisingly diverse and, in some cases, very loving.
Many of the more idiosyncratic pieces are homages to dead relatives, tributes to long lost cultures or heartfelt meditations on death. The fashionista in Drew Falchetta’s watercolor, La Catrina , for example, evokes a skeleton diva—stylish hair, makeup, feather boa and hat. But the image is so individualized it suggests not a generic “type” of person but perhaps a specific individual known by the artist.
Jay Bevenour also created a touching memorial with his La Colaboracion , a red-tinted ink and digital drawing commemorating his mentor and uncle. The piece is a self-portrait showing the artist at work, his hand guided by the hand of a large decorated skeleton who leans over his shoulder, a lit cigarette dangling from his free hand. The artist concentrates on his work but Uncle Mike looks directly at the viewer. The piece reverberates since we all imagine a once-loved and now-gone relative or friend hovering nearby.
Another stand-out piece is Jeff Kilpatrick’s ink, marker and pencil creation Proximidad De Usted which shows two lovers embracing near a Mexican church. Their robust bodies and fashionable clothes and the woman’s cascading black hair are great foils for the lovers’ dead white skulls and the woman’s bony arms, which embrace her man. It’s a highly romantic image, inspired by the 1938 Hoagy Carmichael song “Nearness of You.”
The most surprising image in the show is Jude Buffum’s giclee print on canvas, Juego Terminado , a pixillated and psychedelic skull as a video “game over” screen. The comment on video games that focus on killing but never envision an afterlife is wry and unexpected.
Finally, El Toro’s piece—a fine-line drawing burned into a wood panel showing a sugar-skull monster whose torso is a cracked Liberty Bell—stands out for its materials and funny Philadelphia reference and at $150, it’s the steal of the show. ■
For more on the Philadelphia art scene go to theartblog.org
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1. Bryan G. Brown said... on Oct 14, 2009 at 10:09AM
“Great work - can't wait for the next show in December!”