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Call it unusual. Call it esoteric. Call it incomprehensible.
Just don’t call it garbage.
Northeast Ohio is no stranger to the reclaimed-objects-as-art movement. In fact, several area creative types make a living by incorporating found items (read: trash) into stunning works of jewelry and sculpture. For the most part, such artistic reclamations are fairly subtle: Bottle caps are placed on a piece of wearable art like sequins, an old map of the Erie Canal is used as the canvas for a painting.
But local artists Dana Depew and Daiv Whaley are taking a more in-your-face approach to this concept — a big, hefty, kind of weird yet ultimately intriguing approach. The two have curated FrigidArt, a show that opens Friday night at Tremont’s Asterisk Gallery in which more than 40 artists will display art — that’s made of refrigerator doors.
Now, we’re not talking about pieces of art placed on fridge doors a la a child’s finger-painting here. Rather, the show will feature fridge doors as art.
Like we said: kind of weird, but definitely intriguing.
* * *
As a visual-art junkie, I’m often in the position of trying to explain a work of art to my less-enthused pals.
“See the contrast between the subject matter and the medium?” I ask, in my best attempt to convey Contemporary Art for Dummies.
Most of these friends humor me; some just roll their eyes and head to the bar.
“I just don’t get it, Tim.”
“Well I know the artist,” I respond. “And here he comes, so if he asks you what you think, just say ‘I love it. It’s so post-modern.’ That works every time.”
“It’s so post-modern?”
“Yes. Trust me. Whenever you don’t know what else to say, just say that.”
And it usually does work (except for that one time when the artist expressly created the work in question as a critique of post-modernism, at which time I advised my friend to say, “It gives off great energy,” and smile a lot).
I have this conversation each month at Asterisk Gallery, my favorite space in Cleveland. It’s a gallery that has housed a range of artists, from nationally known figures like Devo lead-singer Mark Mothersbaugh to big names in the local art scene to students from universities all over the region.
Asterisk also has a cult-like following; each month during the Tremont ArtWalk, it’s where the party starts and where it ends. Fans range from skinny-jean-wearing post-emo punks to wealthy suburbanites and every type of trendsetter in between.
Exhibits at the gallery tend to not just push boundaries, but knock them down entirely and proudly stomp on the remains. Politically charged shows are par for the course at the space, as are those that showcase the avant-garde in all its forms.
It’s no wonder, then, that Asterisk is the home of FrigidArt, a unique exhibition that opens on Friday, Nov. 13, in which dozens of local artists will display reclaimed refrigerator doors as art.
Say it with me: “How post-modern!”
Actually, FrigidArt really is post-modern and highly visionary. And, given the nature of the medium, it’s going to be one hell of a big show.
Local artist Daiv Whaley got the idea for the exhibit when he was thinking of ways to push himself as an artist that also would push viewers.
“Exhibits need to be challenging for artists so that they are motivated to make really good work,” he says. “And exhibits need to be challenging for audiences, too, so that they are entertained and inspired by what they see or hear.”
Whaley approached Asterisk owner/artist Dana Depew, who jumped on board in a heartbeat.
“We each wanted to bring in a group of artists that we could combine to have a well-balanced exhibition,” Depew says.
The pair put out the call for artists and soon found themselves flooded with submissions, ultimately selecting 42 for the exhibit. Artists were asked to produce a fridge door in a manner that would best define their individual style.
“Since a fridge door is already sculptural in the first place, we wanted to have a good blend of painting, video and mixed media,” Depew says.
“It is going to be exciting to see how each artist addresses the project,” he adds.
Depew’s own work will be the focal point of the show.
“It’s a nine-feet-tall ‘Stonehenge’ made from fridge doors that will be installed in the center of the gallery,” he reveals. “It is an homage to an installation produced by artist A. Horowitz in Santa Fe about 15 years ago. It was a public art work that was deemed an eyesore by the city, and they tore it down in 2007. It started out as a statement about American consumerism and waste, and then it sort of became waste itself.”
Other works to watch for are those created by Teresa Bosko, Scott Pickering, Wally Two Hawks, Miss Melvis, Ed Raffel, Bernadette Glorioso and Spangle’s own Maria Miranda
“I expect some really cool presentation styles and some really amazing applications of doors-as-art,” Whaley says. “There are very talented artists in this show, and they're all radically different from each other as well, so this show should run the gamut from sublime to supersonic to maybe even silly.”
So plan a night out in Tremont this Friday and challenge yourself to a one-of-a-kind artistic experience.
And, if you get there and find yourself completely confounded as you stare at the nine-foot Frigidaire spire looming over you, remember: You know what to say.
The Details
FrigidArt
Nov. 13-Dec. 4, 2009
Opening night reception: Friday, Nov. 13, 6-11 p.m.
Featuring a performances by the Flat Can Company and food and refreshments by Whole Foods and Pabst.
Asterisk Gallery
2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland
Details at www.asteriskgallery.com.
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