Meandering Through Art

Shit I Saw Over the last Two Weekends

There are several exhibits going on right now that I want to see but haven’t. Life gets in the way. But here are some artworks that made an impression on me over the past couple of weeks. Let us start at Reeves Art and Design and their huge group show, Friend of a Friend.

Austin Taylor, Honey Bear, Ricky Rabbit, Ithaca, stoneware, 2022

These weirdly plastic-looking ceramic sculptures by Austin Taylor were included in a huge group exhibit. Friend of a Friend, curated by Vincent Di Nguyen at Reeves Art + Design. I would characterize Friend of a Friend as a collection of often very cartoony artwork—some directly referencing cartoons and comics, while some, like Taylor’s sculptures, have a feeling of something mass-produced by some forced injection process made for children—very kawaii.

Mark Dean Vaca, Ain't Afraid, Krusty, scrylic on polypropylene mounted on PVC panel, 2019

Mark Dean Veca draws his subject matter directly from cartoons in his two pieces. One thing about animated cartoon characters is that they are usually pretty simple—line drawings to describe a figure that is relatively easy to animate. But Veca covers his cartoon figures with a filigree of fine lines.

Taylor McKimens, Happy Days Are Here Again, acrylic on canvas

Taylor McKimens is represented by this painting and a number of jaunty painted sculptures of potted cacti. It’s a strange subject to focus on, but it fits into the cartoony vibe of the exhibit.

Taylor McKimens, top row: Sweet Cowboy Cactus, bottom row: The Hook

McKimen’s sculptures are made mostly of painted paper—they are really halfway between sculpture and painting. Their bright, flat colors painted over with choppy linework made me think of the background paintings for animated cartoons. The stylized approach and preferred subject, cacti, made me specifically think of Roadrunner cartoons.