Photo by Maggie Vaughn
In July, Timothy Cobb Fine Arts moved one gallery over into Elaine Erickson’s former space on the ground level of the Third Ward’s Marshall Building. Off the Cuff sat down with Cobb to discuss changes in inventory and display style, and his current exhibition.
The space features two distinct areas (2D and 3D). Tell me about that and other unique aspects of the transition.
I renovated the space in the front where the glass walls are located so that I can fly from the ceiling and install large-format sculptures in the floor. I’m challenged to find the right things for both spaces and to somehow create a link curatorially between the two. They can act as one large space or two spaces that feel separate. That is a real benefit.
One of the things that I’m experiencing in this gallery for the first time is mounting exhibitions that consist only of living artists. Representing them is a tremendous responsibility and I’m enjoying it.
How have visitors been responding to the new space?
It’s been very successful. Everyone loves the space. They particularly have commented on how I managed to make it my own. I think people were expecting me to keep it the same but the renovation has been impressive to a lot of people.
Tell me about your current exhibition.
The title of the exhibition is “The Three Treasures: Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, What Would We Be Without Them?” [through Nov. 28], and my point in this exhibition is that drawing, painting and sculpture are the cornerstone of world culture, and drawing is the basis of all visual art. When you’re considering buying a painting, study the drafting because a really good painting, first of all, is drawn really well. And one thing that all work in my gallery has in common is it’s all drawn really well.
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This exhibition features marble self-portraits by Susan Falkman along with her limestone maquettes, all of which will be seen for the first time in public. We chose to include two spectacular paintings by Wisconsin artist Rebecca Crowell because they pick up the beautiful colors in the stone as well as the walls and floor but also brought a sense of antiquity, even though the series was based on travels in Lapland, Sweden.
I found [painter] Madeline Glaspey in a small exhibition in a church basement. The first paintings of hers that I saw really touched on my eye that was trained in old master paintings. I gave her her first major exhibition because her work was strong enough that she could be included with very strong artists, which a young artist really needs.
There are nine drawings by the master, Oliver Benson, and one thing that I’ve done to showcase them was the inclusion of magnifying glasses installed underneath the drawings so that people could see how this skilled draftsman creates the images with a simple, sharp tip of a pencil.
Tyler Meuninck in his drawings and paintings is able to capture air. It’s very difficult to capture the feeling of air so that you can stand in front of a painting and feel the weather.
Christian Ricco is a very strong draftsman who can create emotional states and movement in a single stroke.
Timothy Cobb Fine Arts is located at 207 E. Buffalo St. in the Marshall Building’s lobby. For an extended version of this interview, visit shepherdexpress.com.
