detail from Penny Forester's viewing machinesConverge, the current exhibition at Maryland Art Place, showcases the recent work of regional MFA graduates. The pieces are, for the most part, conceptual and apparently arranged within the gallery by similarity of media (wood with wood, white with white) and a somewhat contradictory "mix it up" sort of feel.
Personally, I would have totally rearranged this show. The front room suffers the most by the disjointedness of the "left-overs," (none of which are white or wood) which include graphite drawings, an interactive sculpture and a too-small-for-its-space installation of photographs, their assorted props and chocolate cameos. While I took close-up images of this installation to highlight its more interesting details, the MD Art Place website has a view of the entire installation, looking teeny in it's corner.
Andrew Buckland's untitled photograph
Joshua Gillen's maquets
Joshua Gillen's larger sculpture in front of Lauren Boilini's "Savage Love"
detail from Aniko Makranczy's "Memeno Mori"
Mahwish Chishty's video projection of stop motion embroidery, I think
Ruth Bowler's hydrocal and wood piece
details from Ellen Harper's "From History Lessons Project"
Is it weird that I want the design to be on her back?
Justin Storms' beautiful whale drawings
I would have loved to see Christian Benefiel's interactive piece (above) placed in the back room of the gallery, alongside Penny Forester's interactive viewing machines, and Ellen Harper's softer installations paired with the delicate paper piece by Aniko Makranczy and the middle room pieces. Also, black and white photo next to black and white drawing...why not? In the front room with Lauren Boilini's large painting? Yes!
