Joe Geshick @ Horst Galleries
Wednesday 11 December @ 11:05:22 |
 by Jenny Assef
Next time you’re caught in the slow grind on I-35, consider escaping to Horst Galleries for a break. They open at 8:30 a.m., just in time for commuter traffic, and you’ll find them in a low-slung building off exit #19. Standing in the shadow of a closed Dairy Queen, the place looks too understated to be Horst, until you notice the gilded doorknobs or the gold urns flanking the entrance. Inside, ornate meets serene. Drafty, spacious rooms with neutral walls are adorned with intricate architectural details and bold chandeliers. What could be seen as disparate elements help the place achieve a certain balance, making it the perfect location for Ojibwa artist Joe Geshick’s first one-man show, as Geshick is perhaps the master of mixing things simple and complex.
The Bear Clan by Joe Geshick
Fans will recognize Geshick’s signature elements—
vertical lines, circles, symmetry, and light trails moving up from his subjects’ heads. But newcomers will also find the paintings recognizable. Geshick’s art has a way of unfolding itself while enfolding the viewer. Something symbiotic occurs, so that by the time you’ve looked at one series of paintings, the next series evokes nostalgia. You walk away carrying with you a sense of calm, which might last an hour or an entire day. Either way, you leave feeling changed.
That these paintings achieve great beauty is clear. What might be less clear is the complicated process that goes into each one. Geshick finishes anywhere from six to 15 studies to secure his compositions before paint even touches canvas, and most of his works take months to complete. Arriving at his present style took years. As an art student in the 1970s, Geshick concentrated on classic landscapes and portraits, but remained unsatisfied. He began participating in Ojibwa ceremonies, and as his spiritual life evolved, so did his art. “Eventually, the composition hit on a connection with each other,” he says, “and all the natural elements we live with.”
Horst Galleries has agreed to donate a portion of sales to the heritage center at the Nett Lake Reservation, where Joe Geshick grew up. Even Horst’s private collection is for sale. For those with shallower pockets, seeing so many Geshick paintings gathered in one place is enough. You can grab a free postcard or two and picture “Feeding of the Spirit,” the show’s most prominent piece, hung in the living room of your dreams.
Joe Geshick’s paintings will be displayed until January 10, 2003. Hours: M-F 8:30-5. Horst Galleries, 315 Lincoln St. NE, Mpls. 612-617-2002.
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