Critique of "Drawing in Air" by Bonnie Rosenberg

“Drawing in Air” heightens viewer understanding

Bonnie Rosenberg

December 2009

All too often surveyors of art are left to their own devices to decipher the meaning behind paintings, sculptures, installations, or posters. The task can seem insurmountable. But, on rare occasions, artists will take the viewers by the proverbial hand and guide them through their artistic creations

The Delavan Art Gallery’s latest Wild Card exhibit, “Drawing in Air,” explores the work of local artist Andy Schuster. Running concurrently with an exhibition of his sculptures at Lipe Art Park, the show displays the sketches and models that led up to this latest installation as well as some of his ceramic pieces.

For each sculptural model on display there is a bevy of accompanying sketches that flesh out the effects of changing sunlight and the impact of applied color on each monument. With his “Ellipse” series, the projected light of day lends each sketch different weight. Casting shadows change with the moving sun.

In “Red Square,” strategically placed sections of red paint come together to reveal a somewhat hidden, yet cohesive crimson geometric shape.

Each drawing includes flicks of colored ink and pen that suggest the intended color palette. The wisps of ink are hurried and brief, but lend an overall understanding of what the artist envisions in the end.

Text also aids the viewer in grasping Schuster’s grander artistic schema. In “Flapping Wings,” his script reads:

Flight

-birds wings flapping

-allow grass to grow and become part of sculpture

-contrast w/ bldg. windows

These sculptures, and the studies leading up to them, are experiments in shape, perception, and the effects of environment on art. With time, the saplings that constitute these works will blend into their surroundings. Snow and grass will become integral elements in all of the works.

Material is the chief difference between these pieces and that of other sculptors. “Spiral galaxy with grid” takes a page from Richard Serra’s book with its winding design. Though unlike Serra’s large, imposing sheets of manipulated metal, Schuster’s work is fragile and impermanent.

Next to the art itself is a video display of the sculptures as they appear in Lipe Art Park. This display adds to the exhibit’s emphasis on multi-media art production.

Interspersed throughout the studies and models are samplings of Schuster’s ceramics. Fired from the same series, these plates feature primal geometric shapes that float on top of an undulating, rippled surface.

A patina-tinted line cuts through the center of the plate in “Drawing, 9 Triangles.” This disruption adds visual interest and a welcome break from the rigidity of the many painted shapes.

“Drawing in Air” guides you to a certain point. It reveals everything up until the moment of artistic actualization. The next logical step for the viewer is to go out to the Lipe Art Park itself and see the installations in their literal natural habitat. Go, walk under the saplings, watch the shifting shadows, and bring along your newfound understanding of the artist’s intent.