By: Nat Ceger
I thought I had gone through sufficient mental preparation for an exhibition called “Flesh Rainbow,” but I wasn’t expecting the psychedelic house party that Jeff Bark decided to throw at Charles Cowles Gallery this month (see for yourself at http://www.cowlesgallery.com , unless you share my hang-up of not liking to view too much of the art before you get to the show. I like the surprise, don’t you?). I’ve seen some good contemporary art at Charles Cowles in the last few years, but I’m on the fence about this show. Nicholas Metivier Gallery, however, has no such apprehensions and will be showing Bark’s photographs simultaneously in Toronto.
Known for his portraiture from the Abandon and Woodpecker series, which are also on display at Charles Cowles, Bark takes the genre to a new level with Flesh Rainbow. The more intimate, almost classical depictions from his earlier work exude an obvious sensuality that is diluted in the more recent photos, obscuring any overarching theme. The only feature that strikes you head-on is the life-sized format, which aids entry into Bark's dreamlike reality. Walking into the gallery, you seem to enter a hallway into several different “rooms” where one bizarre scene after another is taking place. The atmosphere is vaguely reminiscent of the Victorian era, created by the patterned backgrounds, eclectic furnishings, and the individualized design of each room. Not so Victorian, perhaps, is the unabashed nude at center stage.
The figures are shown with little grace, and would be pitiable if they weren't shielded by Bark's humor and eccentricity. Most of the photos deliver a punchline for a title, such as At Other Moments He Was Downright Funny (2009), which shows a man leaning against a wall with a bucket on his head. No faces are visible in any of these works, leaving the viewer to glean information from the body language and surroundings. At Other Moments hints at inner turmoil and an abrupt ending with the tense hands, hunched posture and unplugged television. The hidden faces heighten the sense of self-absorption coming from each character, creating the most palpable barrier to our scrutiny. I'm not going to expand into isolation and the human condition, because frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it, but it plays an obvious role in Bark's work.
After getting weirded-out by Have Fun Wherever I Go (2009), which depicts a drooping young man who up-ended a pot of spaghetti and meatballs over his head, I was glad to settle down before I left with It's Very Difficult Telling A Girl Whom You Like, But Do Not Love, That You Do Not Love Her (2009). Call me old-fashioned, but I found the combination of Dutch still-life and “My Little Pony” extremely comforting. I don't think I can describe it any better than that – you'll have to see it. But should you see it? I didn't know at the start, and I'm still not sure at the end. Maybe it's the very sense of uncertainty that throws me off. These are all portraits that don't qualify as portraiture, photographs that have the lush textural effects of a brush, modern configurations that are set in another era (arguably, another world). Jeff Bark did get a rise out of me, though, I'll give him that. Maybe in his next exhibition, he can stop giving me too much information.
“Flesh Rainbow” at Charles Cowles Gallery runs through May 23
Charles Cowles Gallery
Take the A, C or E train to
Gallery hours: Tues-Sat, 10-6
Gallery website: www.cowlesgallery.com
Artist website: www.jeffbark.com
Oh wow, now I have to go see this exhibit! I haven't been to the Charles Cowles Gallery in a while, so this will be a good excuse. Thanks for the review!
Posted by: Sarah B. | May 21, 2009 at 11:54 AM
It doesn't matter is the rainbow is on a poem, a cake , a draw in the wall, in our hair , in the sky or in any other place is always beautiful to see all those colors.
Posted by: kamagra | April 27, 2010 at 02:23 PM
Stop hack the program!!!
Posted by: 网站优化软件 | December 22, 2010 at 07:59 PM
I love Charles Cowles gallery, I have like 6 months of not go there, maybe this weekend have some time
Posted by: Miami Office Space | May 07, 2011 at 04:40 PM