DON’T MISS IT! “Kelli Williams: Scala Naturae” at Leo Koenig

By: Jessica Manchester

 

 

 

 
Oviparous, 2009, oil on panel, 16 x 20 in.  Courtesy of Leo Koenig Inc.

 

Presenting her second solo show with Leo Koenig Inc., Kelli Williams presents “Scala Naturae.”  In the words of the artist “made this show to examine the centuries old belief in the Scala Naturae or Great Chain of Being.”  Bordering on hetero-eroticized fantasy content and political activist messages, Williams, creates hellish scenes reminiscent Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, specifically the inferno-ish panel of Bosch’s, but with breathtaking colors, unrivaled detail, whimsical components and political undertones. 

 

 

 
Instruments of the Passion, 2008, oil on panel, 16 x 16 in.  Image courtesy of  Leo Koenig Inc.

 

 

  The stark white gallery and hospital-like lighting create a sterile environment for beautiful yet crude panels creating a stark contrast, however, this contrast allows one to focus on the work and explore the fine detail without being distracted by a busy gallery space.  An amalgam of oil on panel fused with ink on paper the effulgence, malleability and chromatic richness achieved by Williams cannot be denied when one gazes at the intensity and tedious level of detail and precision. Pieces like Instruments of The Passion and Oviparous, both of which have ink versions on display, and Wet Bar showcase just how in tune the artist is with her choice in medium. Beautifully rendered statues and architecture at almost microscopic levels are perfectly portrayed, despite not being the immediate subject matter.  No less impressive, but of lesser detail, the ink pieces tend to seem less thought-out and more like an expression of chaotic political views combined with a mapping of the scattered nature of her thought process.  The most successful of the ink pieces, in my opinion are the ink versions of the oil pieces due to their solid design.  Where most of the ink pieces tend to be scattered thoughts images and ideas smattered about on the paper, Instruments of the Passion and Oviparous, as ink versions, have a much more cohesive story line with an actual visual narrative.

 

 

 
Wet Bar, 2007, oil on panel, 12 x 16 in. Courtesy of Leo Koenig Inc.

 

 

 Most post-modernist work has become parallel with our society as a whole we have become de-sensitized and seek out stimulation.  This typically translates to work that aims to shock the viewer.  Pieces like Ass Gas or Grass, by Williams, exemplify this with the use of women shitting, while masturbating or just plain doing their “business.”  In Nobody Rides for Free images of G.I.s fucking atop a sea of BP oil emblems induces an immediate sensation of shock and scandal before the actual message of the piece comes across and you realize it is beautifully composed. 

Considering that the exhibit only boasts just over a dozen pieces, it gave me the opportunity to thoroughly admire and explore the finely crafted oil pieces and to fully examine the intricacies of the ink.  The gallery, in the epicenter of Chelsea right on 23^rd amidst a plethora of other galleries, it is certainly worth popping into while strolling through the area.  Politically motivated and artistically crafted Williams work despite some pieces that seemed driven by a need to shock, the exhibit is a fine addition to Koenig’s repertoire of quality artwork and shows that warn of adult subject matter.

 

 

 
Nobody Rides for Free, 2009, ink on paper, 22 x 17 in. Courtesy of Leo Koenig Inc.

 

 

 

“Scala Naturae” at Leo Koenig runs through July 3^rd

 

Leo Koenig Gallery

545 West 23^rd Street

Take the C, E or 1 train to 23^rd Street and/or the M23 bus to 11^th Avenue

Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm

Exhibition Website: www.leokoenig.com/exhibition/view/1898