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Reconstructing reality
Exhibition draws on tactile materials to tackle artistic visions
By Nicole Queen
nqueen@mscd.edu

Photo by Rachel Crick • crick@mscd.edu "Consumer Likability; C-Prints" in badge mounts on refrigerator door. One of many pieces by Rietfors now being shown at (Real) Photographic Constructs at Metro's Center For Visual Arts.

At first glance, a stack of Goodyear tires, a cluttered pile of Kool-Aid packets and antique keepsakes may appear less than intriguing, but put them into the hands – or eyes – of a photographer, and the most ordinary objects can be transformed into a whole new abstraction.

The concept of constructing an environment using space, dimension and depth, as well as light and shadow, is beautifully showcased at the Metropolitan State Center for Visual Art’s current photography exhibit, (REAL): Photographic Constructs. During its belated opening on Jan. 18, the representation of alternate realities proved the show was well worth the wait and the weather.

Gallery curator Jennifer Garner and assistant curator Cecily Cullen teamed up with the Colorado Photographic Arts Center to bring a mix of installation pieces and framed photography from Colorado and around the nation together under one roof.

“It was important that we stayed within the theme and concept of the show – locally and nationally recognized,” Garner said. “The artists we chose encapsulated the theme.”

In the first room, local artist Jon Rietfors’ bright and deliciously fun visual commentary on consumerism gives pop art a new twist. Rietfors incorporates recognizable commercial products such as Coca-Cola cans, Cup o’ Noodles boxes and Kool-Aid packets with bright C-prints, or photographic prints made from a negative.

The most interesting piece was composed of a vintage refrigerator door mounted onto a wall decorated with magnets resembling a woman’s body.

“By placing a relevant image on these products, I am trying to cause the viewer to take a fresh look at otherwise everyday objects and question the place these products have in our lives,” Reitfors explained on his website.

The next room offers works by photographer Zeke Berman, who has been globally recognized as a veteran of the transformation of the everyday object into a totally new reality. Berman’s collection of gelatin silver prints from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s capture strategically placed objects to create a geometric three-dimensional illusion within the photograph itself.

Parallel to Berman’s work is local artist and UCD alumna Gwen Laine’s interactive piece “Still life with will.” The piece is composed of 31 wooden boxes mounted on the wall. Each box includes a hinged door that can be lifted by the viewer to see what lies within. Some of the boxes contain nostalgic keepsakes, while others contain photographs of miscellaneous objects.

Keeping with the theme of constructed space, Laine said, “Constructing the boxes and images within the box is the process of building something that evolves.”

Laine’s calm, structured piece is actually an invitation into the memory of her mother, who has passed away, but is also intended for the viewers to reconsider their own memories.

“In order for it to be seen,” Laine said, “the piece requires both physical and mental actions on the part of the viewer.”

Susan Harbage Page’s mixed-media installation piece “Terms of Endearment” illuminates the walls in the following room. Transparent portraits of women from the past are hung from the wall and accentuated by five floor lamps. The silhouette of each woman projected onto the walls creates a warm yet distant feeling within the room.

Harbage Page’s piece was not the only installation piece that lit up the show. Local artist David Zimmer’s “Winter #4” sprawls across the back wall as a web of glowing glass jars holding photos of leafless trees cast in polyester resin. The lights flicker from bright to dim as a faint and eerie noise buzzes from the transformer on the floor.

(REAL) also includes Gregory Crewdson’s intriguing three-part collection of surreal C-prints, all untitled. Crewdson leaves it up to the viewers to create their own stories from his photos. In one photo, a teen appears standing in the front lawn of a suburban house wearing nothing but a bra and underwear.

In another, a boy reaches into the depths of a shower drain looking for whatever the viewers’ imaginations hold. Crewdson’s mysterious scenes create new ways to tell stories using everyday concepts.

The last portion of the show is a three-part photo series by Bruce Charlesworth titled “Gift Triptych.” The photos, bursting with color, show the images of a carefully wrapped gift placed in the midst of tidy retro rooms.

In the final room, artist Meridal Rubenstein showcases her multimedia montages “Joan’s Arc,” made from silk-screen prints, glass and paper, and “Three Missiles,” a conglomerate of serene gelatin prints framed by steel resembling church windows.

“It’s a really interesting mix of works between installation pieces and black and whites, which is nice,” said Metro photography major Jordan Ourada.

The exhibit was originally scheduled to open Jan. 5, but the bitter cold and snow forced the center to cancel and move the reception date to Jan. 18. The exhibit will be at the CVA until Feb. 23. The CVA is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free.