Mounting the exhibit proved to be challenging, withthe work of filmmakers constituting a majority of the gallery space. Thisincreases the time necessary to view the show, since an hour or more may beneeded to fully appreciate and benefit from the winners’ work.
The front gallery dedicates space to installationsby established artists Shana McCaw/Brent Budsberg (joint recipients of theaward) and Xav Leplae along with emerging artist Barbara J. Miner. The teameffort by McCaw/Budsberg portrays “smallification,” miniaturizing in exactingdetails the vestiges of an antiquated clapboard farmhouse (Reaction) alongside a ceiling strung with tiny outmoded telephonepoles (Ground). The tangled wireseventually twist in a heap on the floor only a few feet away from the toppledMidwestern homestead. Each installation looks at the structures, technology andideals that increasingly challenge society.
Another wall in the front gallery displays Miner’s Anatomy of an Avenue photo essay, whichencompasses 60 black-and-white C-prints. Miner’s photos record life on Milwaukee’s North Avenue,beginning at the lakefront and extending into suburban Pewaukee. Thisphotographic array captures seasonal moments, ranging from two young girls inminiskirts standing at a summer nacho stand to a woman purchasing flowers in agreenhouse. These singular prints illustrate the diverse cultures stretchingalong one street, offering a glimpse into unique Milwaukee-area neighborhoods.
The gallery goes from light to darkness to view filmwork from emerging artists Tate Bunker, Bobby Ciraldo/Andrew Swant (jointrecipients) and Frankie Latina, and established artist Iverson White. Bunkerprojects his 15-minute looped short feature film Starring Mickey Burgermeister on one wall. The film contains anarrative story without dialogue that documents an elderly roller skating starcostumed in shimmering white satin. Bunker’s startling visuals contrast youthand aging through ethereal effects and magical realism. The proximity to theprojection dramatically alters the viewer’s perception of and intimacy withBunker’s neo-real characters.
The back room in Inova’s gallery houses a 24-seatmovie theater where Latinaand White alternate their films on 30-minute loops, also juxtaposing stylisticand experiential differences. Latina’sfilm Hack pieces together pastfootage to retell his autobiographical journey to filmmaking in a faux homageto himself. These interesting revelations attest to the determination necessaryto succeed in this art form. White’s 40 years of expertise profoundly influencehis film The Funeral. The color shortplays on the tension in male-female relationships with a final redemptive note,a theme well worth waiting for.
The “Nohl Fund Fellowships” exhibition requiresconcentration: Take the time to contemplate the aforementioned artwork at arelaxed pace, in addition to viewing the work of Leplae and Ciraldo/Swant. Thisannual event serves a valuable role in the city’s artistic community, not onlyby showcasing several nationally acclaimed artists who otherwise would remainunfamiliar names in Milwaukee, but also by creating awareness of emergingartists. This exhibit underscores the Mary L. Nohl Foundation’s efforts toenhance art, as does the series of educational lectures featured in UWM’s Locally Grown: The Nohl Fellows,held on the UWM campus at various datesthroughout the exhibit’s run, which ends Dec. 13.
