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Pick of the week
MON
JULY 18
Whether capturing a colorful Pride parade in NYC or sewing together a collage
of ominous machinery on a Midwest farm, photographer Susan Bowen's
overlapping, panoramic technique manages to capture a sense of ceaseless
motion. While the idea of a portrait series of mid-America landscapes might
raise cynical eyebrows, Bowen's Iowa Meanderings exhibit invites
viewers into a stylized world even the local farmhands might fail to
recognize.
Since I've never been to Iowa, my mental images of serene farmland were
quickly shattered by Bowen's eerily cobbled shots of the state's heavily
industrial underpinnings, and a series of John Deeres straight out of a
creepy Tim Burton fantasy world. The candy-slick color scheme is powerfully
disarming, and I'm still waiting for the rusted junkyard inhabitants to show
up in my nightmares.
Bowen's style is fast and furious, with chance overlaps playing a large role
in the final product. It also presents a very personalized sense of place and
perception, as the artist imposes her own unique vision into a pre-existing
landscape, transforming clichés into something far more substantial. I'd be
anxious to see her panoramic takes on Sin City. Kelle Schillaci,
kschillaci@cox.net
Iowa Meanderings
Through August 1
CCSN Fine Art Gallery
3200 E. Cheyenne
651-4205
Free
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