Ana Lois-Borzi @ Franklin Art Works
Tuesday 30 December @ 17:48:31 |
 by Valerie Valentine
Inside the barren, sterile main gallery at Franklin Art Works, Argentinian Ana Lois-Borzi inspires a weird reflection on motherhood and mutation. Through installation and sculpture, the artist has created a compelling portrait of creation and destruction. This viewer’s interpretation of the concepts circled around the politics of making new life in a world full of inexplicables, namely, violence and genetic manipulation.
Gross biological bits meet you at eye level in “Dropping,” a surreal sculpture of tooth, bladder and a rogue pubic hair, and then in “Numb,” with beads and blobs that resemble egg and sperm. A note that “all is not well” set the scene, while a momentary wail-crash-boom from the video installation nearby creates tension of pain and ruin. Twisted body parts from stuffed animals greet the patrons at the end of the corridor, a piece entitled “Links.” At first appearing to be merely colorful play, the little dismemberments all in a row makes for an unsettling sensation.
Hero by Ana Lois-Borzi
Colors merge together in “Deflated Like a Big Balloon,” a conglomeration of afghan blankets, piled nearly thigh high. The title suggests crestfallen hopes; positioned next to “While I Was Out,” a spongy, distorted crib, the thrills of parenthood seem to fall below expectations.
The childlike icons stuttered around the room encourage this slightly paranoid perspective. Mutant stuffed animals beacon eerily from the walls. In “We Were Lucky,” several malformed teletubby-looking creatures ogle you with triumphant expression. One can only imagine how those who were not as lucky looked.
Turning to the ultimate sculpture of annihilation, “Not All is Well,” a teddy bear with no arms, no legs, and no nose appears to be melting, an unhappy animal, another survivor of either a genetic or nuclear war. In “F*ck You, F*ck You,” another stuffed beast’s face has oozed off into a grimy wax pit. On the horizon rises the chivalrous “Hero,” a baby doll sunk up to it’s knees in tar-filled fluted glasses. This scary scenario makes for a funny and bleak outlook on innocence.
Alongside these warped wonders, the lobby gallery boasts a tripped-out display by Canadian painter Jason McKechnie. His “Flower Power “ paintings read like a marbled hallucinogenic, serving as a mild sedative before the videos by Rico Gatson. His 12.5 minute loop swings through popular Hollywood films to investigate portrayals of evil and human reactions of fear. Its soundtrack echoes through the chambers, haunting the whole show with a grim thrill.
Ana Lois-Borzi: Tell You What runs through Jan. 17. Franklin Art Works, 1021 E. Franklin Ave., Mpls. 612-872-7494.
|
|
 |
|
