Ronnie Schwaller hosts their second art exhibit this month in the Nolen Lounge at the Campus Center. The Gallery Finale is at 8pm on September 20th. Their artist statement describes the exhibit as a presentation of “continuously reshaping unorganized forms.” The gallery features paintings and a series of collages, along with “a collaborative sculpture space that can be recorded through shadow tracing.” The exhibit is lighthearted and cheery. There is a podium at the entrance of the room, with nothing but a page of compliments and endearments left for Schwaller scribbled on it. Most striking is a jumble of plastic, paper, wire, and pipe-cleaner illuminated by a projector in the center of the gallery.
First impressions of this collection of art are that, indeed, Schwaller has remained faithful to their listed inspirations, Picasso, Pollock, and Delaunay. Their paintings, such as “There is no green in this painting.”, “Untitled Green”, and “Hills” appear to conform with the trajectory of the Modern Art and Abstract Expressionism movements, using unrestrained color palettes in a muddle of blotchy disorganization. The print-out of quotes laid out on a table, reading lines such as, “Can you ever completely understand something?” and “Is there more to it?” emphasizes the connection to modernist philosophy.
The conversation that surrounds art is a complex one. Art is surrounded in a haze of subjectivity, giving agency to individuals that use their words to describe the feelings and thoughts that such art inspires within them. It was abstract expressionism in the 1940’s and ‘50’s that gave rise to the concept that art can be made such that it is less about the “message” and more so about the “feeling” that might be induced within a viewer. Schwaller’s exhibit is one to “feel”, rather than think about the deeper meaning to any individual piece.
Each set of art hails from a different set of inspirations, whether it be personal experiences, experimental or communal art.
Schwaller explores various techniques throughout the exhibit. “Shadow Tracings!” explores organic forms painted on cardboard, reminiscent of light flickering through tree leaves. One might be reminded of the infamous psychological test, Rorschach’s ink blots. The forms contort and cross over each other in striking chiaroscuro fashion.
Adjacent to the shadow paintings are an array of collages. Schwaller writes in their artist statement, “I bring the season’s collected materials together through collage. The final result is a dynamic snapshot of that time in my life.”
While one may draw certain thematic patterns between pieces, Schwaller flits from subject to subject building breadth, rather than depth. The viewer leaves with a slight, lingering feeling that they might have just reviewed a resumé via scrapbooking display.
In the center of the gallery is a sculpture where visitors are invited to edit with provided materials. It is a charming piece that surprises visitors after turning the corner. While it does not necessarily fit with any other themes presented in Schwaller’s work, it is still a nice way to display a record of the exhibit in an artistic form.
Individually, Schwaller’s pieces can be taken at face value. Gallery-goers may or may not find personal or thematic revelations while visiting. Until the 20thof September, the Nolen Lounge will be home to an assemblage of vibrant colors and unique organic shapes. Collectively, the exhibit is a disarray of too many concepts attempting, and failing, to find cohesion. It is a rambling of personal experiences, communal art, and experimentation. Should anyone find themselves at the Campus Center in the coming days, they are invited to find their own impressions of “Impressions.”
