Over, Under, Around ...

Cathy Brilson, director of marketing and PR for Southwest School of Art & Craft, invited me over for a rare peak at the installation of their newest exhibition "Over, Under, Around, and Through." Featuring the works of Linda Hutchins, Tracy Krumm, and Piper Shepard. Each artist shares a distinct appreciation of process, time, and space.

Krumm was on her knees, up to her elbows in clay — her large-scale work features a suspended wire form covered by a layer of wet clay. While I watched her mix various concoctions into the plastic container that acted as a cauldron, Krumm stirred in (with her hands) tinted metallic powders that released little crystallites (best viewed under the light). Krumm's four other wire sculpture pieces resembled each other — a reoccuring theme with all three artists' work. Now I'm not saying that the works weren't unique or well-executed, quite the opposite. Krumm delves heavily into an industrial vibe. I noticed that four of her works were suspended by S-hooks — such a simple hook, but a piece that ultimately pulled everything together and lived up to the show's name. A majority of Krumm's works also gave the illusion that the pieces were falling into the ground, coming up back to earth. Her dedication to recycled art and the visual effect seeing art physically being given back to the earth is really a sight to marvel.

Hutchins's works are simple. She used an old-school typewriter to type a single word on scrolls. Completed in 2003, the works showcase her unquestionable obsession with repetition. In her work "Sorrow," six black boxes are propped upon each other to create three steps with the final step containing an unraveled scroll containing the word "sorrow" repeated. Hutchins drew inspiration for this piece from her childhood — she was not allowed to wear black as a youth because, her mother explained to her, she wasn't old enough to. By repeating "sorrow" on paper, she was questioning her mother: "Am I old enough to type sorrow over and over?"

Piper Shepard's pieces are ultimately what draws patrons into the gallery. Her hand-cut panels act as a frame leading viewers into the space. The use of graphite, aluminum, muslin, and gesso on top of the arduous task of cutting each knook and cranny within each piece adds up to a splendid, nostalgic collection.

OVER, UNDER, AROUND, AND THROUGH
through Jan 13
Southwest School of Art & Craft
300 Augusta
(210) 271-3374
Swschool.org

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