Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 2007)
BY CHUCK ADAMS Beasts and Bee’s Knees Beeswax can be mixed with pigments and resin to make encaustic paintings, an art process practiced for more than two millenia. Encaustic show shines pretty T o make beeswax, the honeybee must literally work its ass off. Produced by thin scales secreted by glands on the surface of the bee’s abdomen, beeswax — once collected by the beekeeper — can be made into candles, cosmetics or pharmaceu- ticals (e.g. that goop that keeps your bones from bleeding). It can also be mixed with pig- ments and resin to make encaustic paintings, an art process practiced for more than two millenia. The current show at La Follette Gallery is called “Encaustics,” but “From a Bee’s Butt to An Image of a Bee’s Butt” might be more apt of a title, such is the syn- thesis implied in Portland-based Karen Ehlers’ and Jan Cavecche’s graphically strik- ing portraits of natural clones. I use “clones” because the mimetic symbolism in their work removes nature from the equation. And yet, this is a show all about nature. According to Cavecche’s artist statement, working in encaustic is a challenge that allows her to “transcend the everyday obstacles” she encounters while making her art. She claims the “happy accidents” of working in a “hap- hazard and erratic” medium usually yield her best work, and she’s not far off the mark. Her series of stone imagery, armoured with peb- bles, three agates and floating rocks are the only works in the show that attempt either tex- ture or shading, a painstaking feat to get right in the rather flat encaustic medium. But Cavecche basically pulls it off by half-assing it, scraping and dripping the hot wax in sloppy gestures to give the rocks actual quality (rather than turn them into mere symbols). Similarly, Cavecche’s Honeycomb Puzzle is a loving tribute to the medium. She achieves texture this time by monoprinting honeycomb patterns directly over the bril- liantly warm oranges, reds and yellows of en- caustic. What we have are snapshots of the beeswax in its prenatal state, half complete but coming together beautifully. Conversely, Deer Branches by Karen Ehlers (left) and floating rocks by Jan Cavecche Cavecche’s series of cross-sectioned plant matter, including dens leonis and lost men, are nice, simple portraits of dandylions and other weeds. But is art supposed to be nice? In lost men, Cavecche tosses in a few toy sol- diers under the soil and expects us to contem- plate something about post-war renewal. But the toy soldiers are mere symbols (they could easily stand for childhood), and the gesture feels like afterthought. Karen Ehlers’ work also ex- tensively relies on symbols. Chairs, deer, trees, firehoses, teapots, vases, cut plants and ar- rows combine in grids of rigid structure that recall stencil de- signs from 1950s wallpaper and wrapping paper. Deer Branches makes good use of spatial arrangement not only on the surface, but with actual depth. Ehlers lays on thick and thin layers of encaustic (including unpigmented beeswax) to show a depth of field that achieves a high level of energy without being too clashing or cluttered. In a series entitled Bestiary, Ehlers relates a story (on a cue card) of a rumor she heard in grad school about the trees outside of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Apparently the rats, pigeons and squirrels who shared the cavity of the trees were mat- ing, and monstrous crossbreeds were discov- ered by the construction workers after they cut the trees down. Ehlers illustrates this rumor (and her memory of it) by imaging the creatures: a squirrel with a rat’s tail, a rat with pigeon’s wings, etc. The creatures are whim- sical and cute in that way you see on display at Fred Meyer’s mass-produced reprints sec- tion. Indeed, there’s something a bit too fa- miliar about these images, as if I’ve seen them somewhere before. Like many of Ehler’s pieces, Bestiary is well-intentioned, graphically appealing and comes with a rich backstory but is thoroughly uninspiring as anything other than wall art. On her website, Ehlers has a handful of striking mirror-image encaustics, but unfortunately they didn’t make it into this show. “Encaustics” runs through Dec. 31. For more information on these artists, who have priced their work quite affordably, visit www.cavecche.com and www.karenehlers.com ew trekking? medical advice for global travelers T HE T RAVEL C LINIC John D. Wilson, M.D. 1200 Hilyard St., Suite S-560 • 343-6028 Start traveling healthy today at www.TravelClinicOregon.com Did you know? Pamper your mind, body, spirit & soul G IFT C ERTIFICATES FOR C OMPLETE S PA S ERVICES ! Massage • Facials • Tanning • Nails Body Wraps • Sauna • Hair Salon • Waxing We also offer corporate groups, weddings & other custom packages! Excellent products for hair, makeup & skin. The Perfect Christmas Gift! The Broadway sells over 200 beers, including seasonal and holiday beer on tap. Open seven days a week. Breakfast/lunch/dinner 200 W. Broadway 541.685.0790 oregonwineandmore.com CAPRICE DAY SPA • Mon-Sat 10am-8pm • 541.744.8743 1623 21st Street Suite B Springfield • thecapricedayspa.com DECEMBER 13, 2007 37
