A piece representing the clock motherhood was one the installments featured at the “Great Expectations” exhibit at the downtown Gallery of Contemporary Art location.
Megan Lunsford | The Scribe
Nov. 17, 2014
DeKeveion Glaspie
[email protected]
Audrey Jensen
[email protected]
Art can be a way of expressing internal feelings or sending an audience a message.
From Oct. 3 to Nov. 15 the Gallery of Contemporary Art downtown gallery featured the “Great Expectations” exhibit that highlighted the works of University of Denver instructor Donald Fodness and UCCS instructor Marina Eckler.
Materials used in Eckler’s pieces ranged from paint to fabrics, but for her anything can be used in art.
“I like to work with everything in art. Language, materials, color, narrative or not narrative. I really respond to the day and to what needs to happen,” she said.
Eckler explained a few of her pieces in “Great Expectations” that she felt stood out. “I’ve heard from different people about different pieces. I at least expect that people would respond more to the painting in the front. It is more traditional art form; people are more familiar with responding to that,” she said.
“The basketball hoop makes the biggest statement and the net is made with doilies. It’s a clash of typical male and female objects. That one makes a pretty big statement, so does the clock.”
Doilies are traditional crocheted mats that are placed under certain dishes. The clock piece Eckler created does not have numbers, but instead has the word “mom” in capital lettering as clock hands that continue to spin around the clock.
Prior to the show Daisy McConnell, director of GOCA, was able to work with Eckler and see a few of her pieces, such as the clock.
“As a mother myself it spoke to me. You’re never off the clock,” McConnell said. Eckler, a mother of two, expressed how being a parent has affected her artwork.
“The kids are really inspiring. It’s hard to put my finger on. They sort of add to the joy in life. It’s great to see how old they are. The oldest has such a wonderful mind, he is already an artist,” she said. McConnell explained that the title of the exhibit was specifically chosen.
“The reason the show is called ‘Great Expectations’ is partly because they are emerging artists, you expect great things from them in the future, they have great potential.”
In the exhibit, Fodness had more of an instillation-based gallery. This kind of gallery means that the artist may assemble a few pieces at home, but the majority of the work will be created in response to a space.
“He works in a pretty different way than our audience has seen. I was excited to bring them together and their work even though it is not identical, they came together,” McConnell said.
Eckler hopes that students will realize that uninteresting things can be the most exciting.
“All the little boring things are secretly wonderful and limitless.”