|
Pathways to expression
An exhibit of two artists' new works reminds viewers that the creative process evolves into intensely personal expression, even when the means of communication are similar.
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 21, 2002
Planetary Movement by Rose Marie Prins
|
ST. PETERSBURG -- Although this is the first time Kevin Kuenzel and Rose Marie Prins have teamed up for an art show, it isn't hard to see why curator Lance Rodgers brought them together: Both artists work in a freeform style, allowing works to evolve as they are made. Found objects, particularly those made of metal, are integral to both artists' works.
Yet, the final results elicit far different responses.
Kuenzel, an architect, captures the cool order of intellectual curiosity in his work. Combining scientific and mystical concepts, he uses three signs of the zodiac: Scorpio, Aquarius and Pisces. Marbles re-create the astronomical star map of each constellation, with the symbols sketched in. Realistic drawings of a scorpion, a water-bearing maiden and a fish add depth. The backgrounds of all three are filled with notes and mathematical equations, barely visible through a whitewash layer.
Medallion, with its arrangement of a metal plate, wire and a metal cog into a giant medal, reveals the artist's wry humor. Rock, Paper, Scissors, the childhood game, is represented through wing nuts, marbles and compasses.
Manifesto by Kevin Kuenzel
|
"Part of my artist statement is taking things out of context. Wing nuts and marbles, though utilitarian objects, remind me of game pieces. I choose to use them in my works to reflect a sense of play," Kuenzel explains.
Prins' works, by contrast, are intensely emotional.
She builds up layers of materials, then burns, slashes, or pours acid on the canvas. These "wounds" symbolize emotional, physical and spiritual traumas, which she then "heals" by stitching them up.
"The shapes of the wounds are archival, and different people interpret my works in different ways." Prins explains. "At the show opening, a man standing in front of one of my pieces was brought to tears by its intensity. Another time, a woman interpreted a piece to represent one of the wounds of Christ."
There are no stitches in Planetary Movement, whose dark canvas and amber-colored latex "wound" create the suggestion of a festering sore. But Transition, with its tightly sewn stitches, appears to be almost entirely "healed."
Prins, a former resident of South Africa, examines the relationship of religion to apartheid in Matter and Spirit. Three dark, mottled sections, sewn together, form the background. In the middle is a white cross, made of aged and stained canvas. Through the heart of the cross runs a long, jagged tear.
The installation work Suttee, Moths and the Bomb: A Trinity makes a poignant statement about destruction. A heavy white curtain separates it from the rest of the show. Inside, mothlike forms hang, all incorporating bones, nails, leaves and other found objects into their structures. At the center is a pillar with a burning candle. Sand is scattered across the floor, its patterns constantly changed by visitors' footprints.
REVIEW
New Works by Kevin Kuenzel and Rose Marie Prins, through March 15 at Salt Creek Artworks, 1600 Fourth St. S, St. Petersburg. Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call (727) 894-2653.
Back to Weekend
© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
|
