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| New Projects / Emerging Artists inova (institute of visual arts) UWM campus 3253 N. Downer Avenue, Milwaukee August 25 – October 1 |
McCaw/Budsberg present Farmstead, a
quasi-architectural, site specific installation
that is meant to be "an homage to a rural
past ... built on an intimacy with nature and a
partnership with the land.” Farmstead is a
visually seductive model of a small farm, its
doll-house sized elements expanding
through the entire gallery space, across the
three rooms, a hallway, and beyond them. At
the same time though, the farm outbuildings
are being invaded upon by the gallery
boundaries, the walls slicing the delicate,
fragile constructions in halves and pieces.
There is a subtle tension between the two
spaces, the gallery and the farm, that might
refer to an old conflict of culture and nature.
The farm buildings and fence are ethereal
grayish-white, their presence ghostly in the
dimly lit gallery space. There is a sense of
almost theatrical drama, in which the lighting
creates uncomfortable, ominous mood,
particularly when juxtaposed with a lone lit
window of the back bedroom of the
farmhouse. The entire installation seems to
aim directly at the viewer’s emotions, evoking
sense of loss, sadness and nostalgia for an
idyllic rural homestead.
quasi-architectural, site specific installation
that is meant to be "an homage to a rural
past ... built on an intimacy with nature and a
partnership with the land.” Farmstead is a
visually seductive model of a small farm, its
doll-house sized elements expanding
through the entire gallery space, across the
three rooms, a hallway, and beyond them. At
the same time though, the farm outbuildings
are being invaded upon by the gallery
boundaries, the walls slicing the delicate,
fragile constructions in halves and pieces.
There is a subtle tension between the two
spaces, the gallery and the farm, that might
refer to an old conflict of culture and nature.
The farm buildings and fence are ethereal
grayish-white, their presence ghostly in the
dimly lit gallery space. There is a sense of
almost theatrical drama, in which the lighting
creates uncomfortable, ominous mood,
particularly when juxtaposed with a lone lit
window of the back bedroom of the
farmhouse. The entire installation seems to
aim directly at the viewer’s emotions, evoking
sense of loss, sadness and nostalgia for an
idyllic rural homestead.
| Shana McCaw and Brent Budsberg, detail of Farmstead |
While many urbanites and suburbanites might have fond memories of childhood summers spent in
the unspoilt countryside that is now being consumed by the urban sprawl, the phenomenon of
searching for the lost unity with nature in not quite new. Rococo pastorals and romantic landscapes
also idealized rural life of the past as harmonious and connected to the earth, the opposite of
artificial, chaotic and materialistic. This myth has been present in the Western culture for centuries.
Yet, it is healthy to realize that the myth is just the myth. When pondering upon the disappearance of
the family farm in south-eastern Wisconsin of the early 21st century, it would be helpful to understand
why these farms came into existence. If one considers 19th century immigration, agricultural workers
came to the Mid-West in search of land, since exhausted European countryside could not sustain
overpopulated farms and villages. Like locust, the human species needed more to devour. This
aspect of agriculture as the most invasive intervention into natural land does not seem to be present
in McCaw/Budsberg’s work. Their beautiful installation shows a fairly one-sided view of the country
life, romanticizing its slow pace, common sense and physical labor. But who can blame a farmer’s
kid for wanting to go to college?
the unspoilt countryside that is now being consumed by the urban sprawl, the phenomenon of
searching for the lost unity with nature in not quite new. Rococo pastorals and romantic landscapes
also idealized rural life of the past as harmonious and connected to the earth, the opposite of
artificial, chaotic and materialistic. This myth has been present in the Western culture for centuries.
Yet, it is healthy to realize that the myth is just the myth. When pondering upon the disappearance of
the family farm in south-eastern Wisconsin of the early 21st century, it would be helpful to understand
why these farms came into existence. If one considers 19th century immigration, agricultural workers
came to the Mid-West in search of land, since exhausted European countryside could not sustain
overpopulated farms and villages. Like locust, the human species needed more to devour. This
aspect of agriculture as the most invasive intervention into natural land does not seem to be present
in McCaw/Budsberg’s work. Their beautiful installation shows a fairly one-sided view of the country
life, romanticizing its slow pace, common sense and physical labor. But who can blame a farmer’s
kid for wanting to go to college?
McCaw/Budsberg sharply contrast present
with the past and emphasize emotional,
atmospheric qualities of their piece. On the
contrary, Nate Page’s work is all about bold,
graphic forms, here and now. There is not a
dose of sentiment in it, just facts.
Page’s work is a collection of utterly familiar
objects (Tricycle, Flag, Pencil, Flower,
Groucho Glasses, Payphone), which all have
been subject to simple, yet severe,
manipulation. All these commercially
manufactured articles have been extended to
extremely exaggerated sizes by either
elongating or repeating their basic elements.
These weird appendages stretch through the
gallery space as a network of lines. However,
they are also subject to gravity, so instead of
extending straight, many of them droop and
flop. As a result of this combination, the
objects appear to be ridiculous and pathetic
at the same time.
There is both a healthy dose of sense of
humor and visual sophistication in these
pieces. Purely on the formal level, the
extended objects create captivating
structures. Tricycle is particularly attractive
with its network of white, red and black lines
of different thickness and directions that
strongly interact with the gallery walls
defining their limits. Payphone, which is
installed in a separate, smaller space and
dramatically lit, mesmerizes the viewer by the
sprawling, sensuous, meandering mass of
its cord.
The question is what these playful
interventions do. Through the close proximity
and alike treatment of the objects, they seem
to refer to the same issue. Both mechanical
repetition of the parts and the repetition of the
repetitive act point fairly directly to mass
production and excessive amount of
consumer goods. In his statement Page
suggests questioning the role of "male
oriented institutions of power" in "the
formation of ideologies, individuality and the
illusion of unlimited choice". If that’s the
with the past and emphasize emotional,
atmospheric qualities of their piece. On the
contrary, Nate Page’s work is all about bold,
graphic forms, here and now. There is not a
dose of sentiment in it, just facts.
Page’s work is a collection of utterly familiar
objects (Tricycle, Flag, Pencil, Flower,
Groucho Glasses, Payphone), which all have
been subject to simple, yet severe,
manipulation. All these commercially
manufactured articles have been extended to
extremely exaggerated sizes by either
elongating or repeating their basic elements.
These weird appendages stretch through the
gallery space as a network of lines. However,
they are also subject to gravity, so instead of
extending straight, many of them droop and
flop. As a result of this combination, the
objects appear to be ridiculous and pathetic
at the same time.
There is both a healthy dose of sense of
humor and visual sophistication in these
pieces. Purely on the formal level, the
extended objects create captivating
structures. Tricycle is particularly attractive
with its network of white, red and black lines
of different thickness and directions that
strongly interact with the gallery walls
defining their limits. Payphone, which is
installed in a separate, smaller space and
dramatically lit, mesmerizes the viewer by the
sprawling, sensuous, meandering mass of
its cord.
The question is what these playful
interventions do. Through the close proximity
and alike treatment of the objects, they seem
to refer to the same issue. Both mechanical
repetition of the parts and the repetition of the
repetitive act point fairly directly to mass
production and excessive amount of
consumer goods. In his statement Page
suggests questioning the role of "male
oriented institutions of power" in "the
formation of ideologies, individuality and the
illusion of unlimited choice". If that’s the
| Nate Page, Tricycle |
| Nate Page, Payphone |
case, "bigger is better" and "big is beautiful" are the cultural clichés that are being ridiculed, since
interestingly, the extended objects seem to become dysfunctional or at least loose a lot of practicality
of their original designs. Consumerism as the highest form of patriotism is also being challenged.
Finally, the act of never-ending extending can also be seen as slightly auto-ironical commentary on
the ultimate kind of masculine improvement: the obsessive preoccupation with sexual enhancement
(and its failure). If Page’s work is in danger of being accused of being one-line puns, the artist evades
it by carefully selecting the objects to alter and being acutely aware of the material that he is working
with. This is fresh work, which will make you laugh and think at the same time.
Despite of the fact that the curatorial decision to show McCaw/Budsberg’s Farmstead simultaneously
with Page’s work can be questioned, since the sentimentality of the first and wry humor of the latter
seem to be canceling each other out, New Projects/Emerging Artists is well worth a visit. Both Page
and McCaw/Budsberg deal with issues of contemporary life calling for immediate attention, try to tune
our perceptions of them and point to the fine details we might miss otherwise. It is a rare occurrence
in Milwaukee to see projects of such ambitious scope, unconstrained by limits of gallery space.
- Dorota Biczel Nelson
(Biczel Nelson is a Polish artist residing in Milwaukee. She teaches printmaking at UW-Milwaukee
and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and is also an owner of Bunker Press.)
Comment? Email comments@susceptibletoimages.com
All quotes from the artist statements.
interestingly, the extended objects seem to become dysfunctional or at least loose a lot of practicality
of their original designs. Consumerism as the highest form of patriotism is also being challenged.
Finally, the act of never-ending extending can also be seen as slightly auto-ironical commentary on
the ultimate kind of masculine improvement: the obsessive preoccupation with sexual enhancement
(and its failure). If Page’s work is in danger of being accused of being one-line puns, the artist evades
it by carefully selecting the objects to alter and being acutely aware of the material that he is working
with. This is fresh work, which will make you laugh and think at the same time.
Despite of the fact that the curatorial decision to show McCaw/Budsberg’s Farmstead simultaneously
with Page’s work can be questioned, since the sentimentality of the first and wry humor of the latter
seem to be canceling each other out, New Projects/Emerging Artists is well worth a visit. Both Page
and McCaw/Budsberg deal with issues of contemporary life calling for immediate attention, try to tune
our perceptions of them and point to the fine details we might miss otherwise. It is a rare occurrence
in Milwaukee to see projects of such ambitious scope, unconstrained by limits of gallery space.
- Dorota Biczel Nelson
(Biczel Nelson is a Polish artist residing in Milwaukee. She teaches printmaking at UW-Milwaukee
and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and is also an owner of Bunker Press.)
Comment? Email comments@susceptibletoimages.com
All quotes from the artist statements.
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Artists are often thought of as having heightened perceptual abilities. They are supposed to observe
details of reality that escape attention of an everyman and also be capable of sensing the upcoming
cultural phenomena. The work of Nate Page and the team Shana McCaw/Brent Budsberg relies heavily
on being acutely aware of facts and events of contemporary life. Yet, their focus and take on reality
couldn’t be more different than it is.
details of reality that escape attention of an everyman and also be capable of sensing the upcoming
cultural phenomena. The work of Nate Page and the team Shana McCaw/Brent Budsberg relies heavily
on being acutely aware of facts and events of contemporary life. Yet, their focus and take on reality
couldn’t be more different than it is.