AT THE GALLERY WITH/Randal Davis; A Show of Works by Women ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/21/nyregion/gallery-with-randal-davis-...

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AT THE GALLERY WITH/Randal Davis; A Show of Works by Women That Expand Language in Art
By D. DOMINICK LOMBARDI Published: Sunday, January 21, 2001 E-MAIL

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THE written word has often played a crucial role in the creation of modern and contemporary art. One early 20th-century example of the use of language in art is the Dada movement, which demonstrated that the printed word can enhance, even rival, the pictorial image in importance.

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An exhibition, ''Spelling: An Exhibition About Women, Art and Language,'' opened recently at the Rye Art Center, a show that features works by seven contemporary female artists who expand the realm of language. In a recent interview, the curator of ''Spelling,'' Randal Davis, who is also executive director of the Rye Art Center, discussed the genesis of the exhibition. Q. Can you clarify the statement in the press release that refers to language as ''material''? A. As I viewed the art for this exhibition, I saw something with regard to the use of language by women that generally separates them from their male counterparts. It was clear that language as a material could be dealt with in a very tactile way, and the tactility or the materiality of language was in itself a connecting point to lead one to the concept of a ''language of the body.'' Q. When you say ''language of the body,'' do you mean certain words are specific to the functions of the body, or that words are metaphors for specific parts of the body? A. By, about, to and for -- all prepositions apply. For instance, from Meghan LeBorious, we have various pieces from what the artist calls ''The Scar Project.'' They are multiple-layer works on plexiglass derived from various oral histories with respect to women's bodies. Each piece addresses body image, and where certain scars came from relative to their personal history. Some of those observations can be quite common, such as ''scratched by my cat.'' Others could be quite traumatic. The resulting series are these multiple-part portraits based on scar recollections. There is also an accompanying CD so you can actually hear the subjects speaking through a pair of headphones. This added dimension gives the art a certain sense of intimacy. Q. On one wall, there are numerous small still-life paintings. In each one, the artist Cristina de Gennaro includes a brass plate with one phrase, while painting a different phrase repeatedly across the surface of the canvas. Can you tell me how you interpret these works? A. This series is an excellent example of how tactile text can be. The phrase here (Mr. Davis points to a painting of four green pears) which is done by repeatedly stamping over and over the phrase ''Reject My Aging, Reject My Aging,'' creates a texture across the entire surface of the work. The more formalized phrase on the brass plate, which is a truism about aging, reads: ''Time Is Money.'' Here, the artist forms an alternating current, so to speak, where one phrase plays off the other, suggesting the idea of eternal wisdom. Q. Karen Reimer's work also has a strong tactile quality. Can you discuss her work? A. Ms. Reimer takes found objects such as book pages or packaging materials and replicates them in embroidery. What you are responding or referring to is the texture of the thread used to create the letters and designs. In her work, one sees a reference to gender because embroidery is most often thought of as a woman's craft. One might also connect the question of what is original, and what is physical or real.

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AT THE GALLERY WITH/Randal Davis; A Show of Works by Women ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/21/nyregion/gallery-with-randal-davis-...

Q. One of the more compelling installation pieces is by Roxanne Wolanczyk. Her installation consists of six pieces of paper suspended from armatures that extend from the wall. Each piece of paper contains a different phrase that is written within a circular format. I assume, judging by the means of display, that the numerous perforations in each piece of paper are bullet holes. What can you tell me about this work? A. First of all, you are correct. They are bullet holes. The text, such as ''I Believe It Was True,'' ''Don't Interfere With Me'' and ''I Was Excluded,'' become targets, which makes the phrase a material object. After looking at them for a while, one begins to notice the nominal differences between each piece of paper; specifically the text, and the particular places where they are shot through, giving them an almost anthropomorphic quality. Q. It's obvious that there are some very important gender issues addressed in this exhibition. When you were curating this show, did you look for work by women that specifically addressed concerns such as self-image and identity? A. We know, all of us know, that there are some very deep-founded assumptions in this culture that have to do with gender differentiations. Mind and body, abstract and concrete, the idea of language and that which is incoherent or unspoken, form and the formless -- all of the artists in this show address these dualistic assumptions. When I curate an exhibition, I like to give myself as much latitude as possible. This makes curating more of a fortuitous process, which in this instance, leads to some wonderful, thought-provoking works. ''Spelling: An Exhibition About Women, Art and Language'' will be at the Rye Art Center through Feb. 17. Information: (914) 967-0700. Photo: Randal Davis, curator of ''Spelling'' at the Rye Art Center, where he is also the executive director. (Richard L. Harbus for The New York Times)
A version of this article appeared in print on Sunday, January 21, 2001, on section 14WC page 11 of the New York edition.

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