Arnold, who graduatedfrom UW-Madison in May 2009 with a bachelor’s in fine arts, is making her solodebut show in Milwaukeewith “Introductions.” One of Arnold’schosen techniques requires applying ink and acrylic to thin, translucentmulberry paper that wrinkles when wet and adds texture to paintings thatincorporate organic imagery.
The watery charcoals,stones and foggy shades created by the ink give Arnold’s long, lean figures a supernaturalappearance. These sensuous apparitions in mystical worlds freely coexist withbiomorphic flora and fauna that mix human and animal forms. These landscapesreveal fractured fairy tales remembered from Arnold’srural Wisconsin upbringing. An example,perhaps a commentary on modern society, includes Kissers, Smokers, and Eaters, which portrays three couplespartaking in these familiar social activities through several peculiarentanglements.
Olson, on track to earna master’s degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2011, develops tintypephotographs with the “wet-plate collodion process.” This time-consuming,hands-on technique produces an individual print unable to be reproduced. Olsonthen floats the image in a black shadow box by using magnets to hold the metalpicture in place, a presentation that merges sculpture and photography tohighlight the imperfections inherent to the vintage 1850s technology.
Olson’s photographsinvite an eerie connection between past and present cultures. His images Car Wreck and Trailer Trash include forsaken possessions seen from jarringperspectives that haunt the viewer.
With her miniature oilpaintings on linen or canvas, Swaydan Grebel captures fresh perceptions inlandscape or still life. When studied in detail, her images reveal a mysteriousmixture of bright pigment and thick impasto paint. Yet when viewed from afar,the paintings coalesce into vibrant scenes that delight the senses.
Swaydan Grebel’s Green Structure depicts a partiallyhidden house in a deep emerald hue surrounded by spontaneous strokes andswatches of color that envision a surreal summer day. Often this artist allowsher uncovered canvas to seep through the picture to add more depth. These tinytributes to plein air painting and impressionism have a contemporary aura.
“Introductions: SofiaArnold, Nick Olson, Paula Swaydan Grebel” continues through Feb. 6 at ToryFolliard Gallery.
