Want to go?
WHAT: “It’s Still Life” by Yellow Springs Arts Council
WHERE: YSAC Community Gallery, 111 Corry St., Yellow Springs
WHEN: Feb. 19 - March 13. Opening Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19
MORE INFO: 937-767-1366 | www.ysartscouncil.org
Playful, somber, reflective or just aesthetically pleasing? Will it be 2D or 3D? Is lighting, video or sound needed? These are just some of the questions that about 35-40 Yellow Springs Arts Council members have been asking themselves since they found out the theme of their 2016 show “It’s Still Life.”
“Still life opens a door for artistic freedom. The artist gets to choose a theme, tell a story, pick what objects to use, what colors and textures,” said YSAC gallery coordinator Nancy Mellon. “The objects are uncomplaining, the artist does not have to consider the needs or mood of the model, can take as long as [he or she] wants, and work indoors in a temperature-controlled environment.”
Corrine Bayraktaroglu chose to go the playful route with “Mr. Pickles Goes Hunting.” She and a friend, Karen Russell, actually fought over who would get the small stuffed animal when they spotted him at a thrift store in Kettering a few years back. Karen won.
“So I told her I wanted to borrow ‘Mr. Pickles’ because I wanted to set him up with a skull that I had,” Bayraktaroglu said. “He reminds me of my old Yorkshire Terrier that I had. “One day he threw a rabbit twice his size over his shoulders and he was so proud of himself.”
Her work is a 2D still life of a 3D set up. She placed him in a box with one paw over the skull, like a wildlife trophy. Ever the jokester, when she was done she taped Mr. Pickles to Russell’s front door to see how long it would take for her to notice him looking in at her.
Bayraktaroglu is one of four artists who will be completing a still life in the gallery’s multi-purpose room. Her inspirational still life will be available today. The others are Carla Steiger, Feb. 17-21, and Susa Gartner, Feb. 24-28.
Rajan Kose’s work was displayed Feb. 3-7. The public is invited to come and try their hand at creating a still life of their own at the gallery the remainder of the month.
Steiger created an untitled 3D still life of a ceramic bird with its head seemingly cut off by a rope of yarn.
“I love rich dreamlike imagery that is untethered from the usual constraint of realism, and leaves room for the imagination,” said Steiger, with a master’s of fine art from the University of Minnesota and who has collections in major museums. “Light and shadow are endlessly fascinating to me and animate my work.”
The Opening Reception on Feb. 19 includes live music by Skip Leeds and Friends, food, wine, games and awards. Award jurors for this show: Patrick Mauk, DVAC gallery manager; Sherryl Kostic, “would you, could you IN A FRAME” owner; and Jason Morgan, still life/portrait artist.
“We don’t know what our artist members will bring for the show,” Mellon said. “Every year, we announce a theme and a date to deliver the art. And then for two glorious days, we receive the bounty of the amazing Yellow Springs’ art community.”
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