As I roamed the space of the Carl Solway Gallery I was taken aback a bit. I had heard through one of those, oh so informative, vine-o-grapes that this was one of the--if not THE-- premier gallery spaces in Cincinnati, but like most new things I was admittedly skeptical. And now I know, I was wrong to doubt the masses ...as this is one of the nicer spaces I've visited since starting this blog approximately eight months ago. Through conversation, I learned that they host three or four shows a year and change the design/layout of the space to cater to each. And when I started roaming, I noticed the walls were clean & well lit, the staff was more that helpful with any of my questions, and most importantly, the art was rather exceptional. And since that's what this blog is all about I'll go ahead and get to it.
The work that I had heard about, and was consequently there to enjoy was by local "Cincinnatian" Jay Bolotin. The show Leaves From A Cast Paper Novel contained 33 drawings by the artist, set up throughout a room-filling installation, that was both heavy in concept as well as skill level. And as my eyes danced around the room, it was obvious that Bolotin not only had developed a style of drawing fairly unique to itself, but he had also perfected it. With each composition, Bolotin's characters sprung to life while trapping me, and I'm sure most other viewers, in a place similar to, but definitely not of this world ....a parallel, puppet-master's universe if you will. In each drawing, his use of bulbous characteristics, paired with oftentimes chiseled features created extremely interesting tensions within his figures. He utilized this technique to transfer insinuated moods into most objects found within the picture plane as well. And the fact that, when thumbing through the gallery's press kit, I learned the drawings in this first room are preliminaries for Bolotin's next animation, I can only look forward to a continuation of what I saw next.
Just off the second room of Leaves From A Cast Paper Novel is an extremely inspirational animated film by Jay Bolotin, made in conjunction with a number of assistants and museum sponsors. The piece THE JACKLEG TESTAMENT, PART ONE: JACK & EVE (part of a trilogy) was created using an unfathomable number of woodblock prints that were scanned/photographed (??) and set to an originally composed soundtrack ...which gives a bit of insight into the depth of Bolotin's creative breath. (To note: Jay Bolotin is an accomplished composer in addition to being a successful visual artist.) Visually, each scene is set in a 3-D world, complete with a vast number of characters, each with carefully orcestrated movements. During the three act film, viewers are taken through an abstracted narrative that features everything from doo-wap singers, to puppet shows, and of course Bolotin's version of Adam & Eve. Multiple languages and visual affects are utilized along the way as well. And being that everything started as two dimensional prints, you can only imagine the amount that went into the project. (And being an artist who does more than dabble in video/animation, myself, I can TELL you this is an extraordinary piece and something EVERYONE needs to see.) Along with the masterful use of audio to carry viewers from scene to scene, the oftentimes, seemingly-effortless animation and sometimes whimsical scenes do more than just entertain ...deeper meanings are often present. To give you a better idea of things, a clip (from the piece) I found on YouTube is below.
And if the video and the drawings weren't enough, Bolotin's final group of featured work consisted of a number of hand-cast paper pieces, set in box frames, behind glass. Presented in a low-lit area of Carl Solway Gallery, these pieces showcased a much more delicate side of Bolotin. And while similarities, between these pieces and his illustrations can be made; the pieces here could easily be considered a show in themselves.
Again bulbous features dominate these works, but in the same breath, everything is much more delicate in this series of pieces. Swooping, abstracted forms oftentimes suggest a sense of freedom ...reminding me of free-float jellyfish, in their own ocean of openness.
It really is surprising the same mind came up with such an array of work. But, I guess, if you've been in the "art-game" as long as/successfully as Bolotin, you have every right to surprise your fans at will.
So with that, please enjoy the show. It will be up at Cincinnati's Carl Solway Gallery through April 10th. Solway's hours are 9a-5p on Monday-Friday and 12p-5p on Saturday. Link to their site HERE.
Cheers & thanks again for the warm welcome Cincinnati.
-Jonathan
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