A fantastical set of exhibitions that are singular to the Chroma Projects gallery, “The Forest ” by Jean Peacock, “Cahier Memoire” by Lillian Fitzgerald, and “Man with a Cello” by Blake Hurt all work upon the imagery of fairytales and the playful interpretations of the psyche.
The whimsical forms in Jean Peacock’s work are a mix of Doctor Seuss’ illustration and a grotesque version of Alice in Wonderland. An attached story of a girl named Clara creates a fictional thread between the artwork using the myths of Persephone, Daphne, and paradise forsaken as inspiration. The graphic lines and bold colors catch the eye while the artist crafts a fable of good and evil in the changing seasons and calls upon her character, Clara, to act the heroine and reveal the morality tale of the work.
Lillian Fitzgerald’s mixed media looks at memory and the way it is preserved and categorized. Each piece creates an intimate portrayal of recollections using thickly layered collages in the shape of open books and homes to evoke a collective consciousness. The soothing forms remind one of the sanctuaries where fond memories of knowledge and belief are stored.
Reminiscent of the springs and cogs inside a pocket watch, the colorful caricatures of small robotic personalities by Blake Hurt are a testament to the subtle humor in storytelling. Each piece is rich with a sense of playfulness that borders reality and dreams. The thin lines hold together the broad watercolor strokes of machines that can be seen in a mad scientist’s laboratory, or reflecting the delicate inner processing of the artist’s mind. The mixture of discriminating details, and vast volumes of color show a precision, and theory that is not easily replicated. –Sarah Morgan
