Arts Notes: Four artists, three dimensions displayed at Reed Whipple

Friday, Dec. 16, 2005 | 8:16 a.m.

In her artist statement, Suzanne L. Mitchell writes, "I aspire to make objects with surfaces so tactile that the viewer is either seduced or repelled, as long as the reaction is strong."

Undoubtedly, Mitchell has mastered that intention with her garment assemblages on display in "Allegorical Amalgamations," an exhibit at the Reed Whipple Cultural Center. The exhibit features three-dimensional work of four Kentucky artists.

Mitchell's pieces are fear based. Mostly dark and oversized, they're built from nature's refuse: fur, bones, bark and twigs.

"Margina," a shawl-like garment made of banana peels, photography and seaweed, is suspended from the ceiling. Its rough layers and textures form a dark shell and cavernous body that could cause anyone to shudder.

"Cafe Carga," consisting mostly of tree pods, photographs, wool, fur, netting and kelp, is united at the top by a leather horse collar, and is equally intimidating.

But Mitchell's work is also compelling and mysterious, often inviting viewers for deeper exploration.

"I've had people walk in and go, 'Oh, creepy,' then leave," said Las Vegas artist Marty Walsh, who curated the exhibit. "But when you take the time, you can really see the beauty in them."

Or as Mitchell says, "That line between fear and seduction is what I'm really interested in.

"It's a little bit too scary for some people, and that's good because art can be absolutely everything, and most people don't associate beautiful with scary."

The exhibit, on display through Feb. 19, also includes Tom Pfannerstill's wood re-creations on common and discarded objects, Jacques Parsley's assemblages and Wendi Smith's canvases.

The collection of work revolves around that which is discarded -- whether it was a discarded original intention or discarded materials, Walsh said.

Pfannerstill forces us to look at not only what we've tossed aside, but what we are, in his "From the Street" series that features flattened coffee cups, cans and other containers tacked to the wall.

As with his large-scale crushed, torn, stepped-on and crumpled packs of cigarettes, they are made from wood and acrylic paint.

Pfannerstill's life-sized photo-realistic objects are scraped and dented, soiled from the elements. The dirt and grime symbolizes refuse. In another vein, Parsley's mixed-media works are tiny shrines built of varying objects to create whimsical social statements. Doll parts, buttons, toys, jewelry and textiles are abundant and arranged carefully to tell stories.

Parsley's "Someday My Prince Will Come," features Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs posed in a wooden box topped with male pop-culture action figures and covered with masculine imagery.

Completing the exhibit, Smith's three towering and columnar acrylic-on-canvas works, "Vernal Equinox," "Autumnal Equinox" and "Summer Solstice" reflect the artist's interest in nature, spirituality and Indian culture.

The pillars are arranged so the viewer can weave through, taking in the work from varying angles: A painting of feathers held together by a stretch of leafy plant, corn on the cob covered by a healthy green husk and corn at harvest time.

Inspired by Tibetan prayer wheels, Smith's smaller-scale acrylic-on-canvas "Sky wheels" dangle near the entrance of the exhibit.

The artists are ages 50 or older and exploring new mediums. Mitchell, professor emerita of University of Louisville Fine Arts, transitioned from photography into assemblage work. Pfannerstill was in printmaking before working with his wood and acrylic works. All were included in a larger show Walsh curated in downtown galleries in 2003 that focused on Kentucky artists whom Walsh, owner of Trifecta Gallery in the Arts Factory, met while living in Louisville for a short time.

Reed Whipple Cultural Center is located at 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North, and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, call 229-6211.

Messiah madness

The Nevada Chamber Symphony will present "Home for the Holidays" at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Clark County Library theater at 1401 E. Flamingo Road. The program will feature music from Handel's "Messiah" and traditional holiday classics. The children's choir from Frank Lamping Elementary School will join the Symphony, under the direction of NCS conductor and music director Rodolfo Fernandez. Admission is free. For reservations, call 433-9280.

The Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society will present "Christmas with the Musical Arts Society" at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Horn Theatre at the Community College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas. The concert will feature the Musical Arts Singers, Chorus and Orchestra performing selections from Handel's "Messiah" and holiday favorites. Tickets are $10. Call 451-6672.

Kristen Peterson can be reached at 259-2317 or at kristen@lasvegassun.com.