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Cassidy and Worthington at Schmidt Dean
To provoke, or to dream (or both)
ANDREW MANGRAVITE
Scott Marvel Cassidy avers that there is “no rational explanation” for the work currently on display at Schmidt Dean Gallery. But I would hazard a guess. Cassidy’s work exudes a dream-like quality, specifically dreams that contain a strong undercurrent of social awareness. The works seems to comment upon such perennial gallstones as racial injustice, violence and religious hypocrisy. Perhaps these are the “ancestral psychologies” alluded to elsewhere in his statement.
Will the paintings change anything? Probably not, although they do give the artist a chance to publicly disavow them. In that regard, Cassidy acts the role of modern prophet—a group notorious in bygone times for being ignored by most people.
His paintings are all visually disorienting. In some cases they appear cropped—the Hilarious Discussion With Jehovah’s Witnesses looks like something an undercover photographer might have snapped. Cassidy’s Self-Portrait is a sort of mind game in which he appears to gaze out a window at the daylight scene but the window itself is embedded in a starry night sky.
Sometimes Cassidy hits a little bit harder. The ominous shadow darkening the door of a prim, white suburban home as a homeowner peers anxiously out a curtained window speaks volumes about “neighborhood demographics” and how people react to the threat of change.
It’s all about technique
Samuel Worthington’s work is all about The Work: Technique seems to fascinate him. In his current show he revisits a technique of photographic printing devised in the late 19th Century but never very popular. It allows him to create interesting surface techniques by working on the print’s shadow areas. He likens this process to silver etching, and his statement includes a lengthy discussion of the technical aspects of the work.
Worthington’s mordencage prints are images taken from the natural world. A few landscapes can be found among the ten large images on display, but most are close-ups: images of roots, tree limbs, reflections in pond surfaces. Because the manipulated surfaces create areas of tan and pale green, the prints convey a certain “trippy” look.
The two shows balance each other nicely: Cassidy’s work invites active comment from the viewer while Worthington’s images lull you into a dreamy meditative state—at least until you read his statement and realize how much hard work and knowledge of applied chemistry goes into the creation of his dreams.
ANDREW MANGRAVITE
Scott Marvel Cassidy avers that there is “no rational explanation” for the work currently on display at Schmidt Dean Gallery. But I would hazard a guess. Cassidy’s work exudes a dream-like quality, specifically dreams that contain a strong undercurrent of social awareness. The works seems to comment upon such perennial gallstones as racial injustice, violence and religious hypocrisy. Perhaps these are the “ancestral psychologies” alluded to elsewhere in his statement.
Will the paintings change anything? Probably not, although they do give the artist a chance to publicly disavow them. In that regard, Cassidy acts the role of modern prophet—a group notorious in bygone times for being ignored by most people.
His paintings are all visually disorienting. In some cases they appear cropped—the Hilarious Discussion With Jehovah’s Witnesses looks like something an undercover photographer might have snapped. Cassidy’s Self-Portrait is a sort of mind game in which he appears to gaze out a window at the daylight scene but the window itself is embedded in a starry night sky.
Sometimes Cassidy hits a little bit harder. The ominous shadow darkening the door of a prim, white suburban home as a homeowner peers anxiously out a curtained window speaks volumes about “neighborhood demographics” and how people react to the threat of change.
It’s all about technique
Samuel Worthington’s work is all about The Work: Technique seems to fascinate him. In his current show he revisits a technique of photographic printing devised in the late 19th Century but never very popular. It allows him to create interesting surface techniques by working on the print’s shadow areas. He likens this process to silver etching, and his statement includes a lengthy discussion of the technical aspects of the work.
Worthington’s mordencage prints are images taken from the natural world. A few landscapes can be found among the ten large images on display, but most are close-ups: images of roots, tree limbs, reflections in pond surfaces. Because the manipulated surfaces create areas of tan and pale green, the prints convey a certain “trippy” look.
The two shows balance each other nicely: Cassidy’s work invites active comment from the viewer while Worthington’s images lull you into a dreamy meditative state—at least until you read his statement and realize how much hard work and knowledge of applied chemistry goes into the creation of his dreams.
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