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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Minneapolis meets Martinique @ Plan B Coffeehouse
Wednesday 25 June @ 12:21:13 |
 by Valerie Valentine
When inspiration putters out, one must seek it somewhere. Every artist, writer and creative person has a perfect fix. For some it can be found in the street, closely examining one’s habitat. When that source is juiced, some artists get out of town. To look away and then look back gives clean perspective; vacations are a necessary rejuvenator. Jun Shiozawa left Minneapolis for a brief surge of creativity, and brought his visions of the French Caribbean island Martinique back to share with us.
Shiozawa visited Martinique during the U.S. war in Iraq. The island towns of Fort-de-France and Shoelcher were plugged into it via television. The streets were rife with dissent. At this time, local artists inspired him to abstract his realism into simple shapes and bold, basic colors. Two pieces called “Box 1” and “Box 2” are collages of closed settings, much like an island. These highly populated squares glow in red, blue and gold. The streamlined shapes enclose; grayish cutout figures pose in close proximity. Life in a TV, or existence in a Happy Meal™ city contemplates globalization in divergent settings. Cohesion and contrast thrive in idiosyncrasy.
Jun stayed with a family who let them take care of his garden. He sketched among the birds and greenery to document a climate much unlike our own. Yellow and green resonate. An island population of mixed heritage creates vast diversity. The Creole language of French, Dutch, English and African dialect is definitely a different sound in the ears than ye olde Minnesota speak. Some of this difference is translated by vibrancy of color. Compared to his Minneapolis pieces, these breathe with renewed vigor and freedom of form.
Perspective: what’s in it? The cities glisten with what we see. An impressive oil painting of Hennepin Ave. Bridge looms, rich in detail; one can see it was accomplished with much study. The loose, sketchy quality of his Martinique work can be traced to a limited timeframe in a foreign land. Because it’s hard to capture everything, a sampling of still life snapshots will have to do.
In an elongated mural, Shiozawa simultaneously combines the clutter of the island life with the peaceful expanse of its coast and sea. A slave figure jumps out of a book to show how history lives: artists must take partial responsibility for its documentation, lest the world forget. When all else fails, history can inspire us.
The exhibit continues through July 14. Plan B, 2717 Hennepin Ave., Mpls. 612-872-1419.
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