ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM | RAM TALKS ART | A BIG WEEKEND FOR ART

RAM Talks Art: A big weekend for art

By Elizabeth Dailing, Education Director, Rockford Art Museum

It's a big weekend for art. And, if you're interested – there's plenty to see.

Not only is this weekend the opening of RAM's new feature exhibition, Moby Dick: Heart of the Sea, it's also ArtScene. So, in an attempt to give you a teaser of what's in store, I'll give you some information that will help to navigate your way through the weekend.

So, even if you haven't read Melville's classic, Moby-Dick, we're going to give you a chance to see the story and characters act out the novel in pictures. Exhibiting artists George Klauba and Kathleen Piercefield are each natives of the Chicago area. Works by Robert McCauley, former chair of the Rockford College Department of Art, will provide a sculptural element to the exhibition.

Upon viewing the images that will be included in this exhibition (a perk of working at RAM!) I have been drawn into learning about a novel that, previously, I had never taken much personal interest in. The images are stunning and they are dramatic.

To all the tattoo artists in town, here's an opportunity to see where tattooing influences fine art.

George Klauba (one of the three artists mentioned above) served in the U.S. Navy, which had a huge influence on his interest in those who lived and worked in the harsh conditions the oceans presented.

On Klauba's Web site, http://georgeklauba.com, the tattoo influence is explained as such: “Recalling experiences of that almost universal rite among sailors of tattooing, he incorporated naval and tattoo imagery into woodcuts and drawings. I had come to believe that what a person wore on their skin usually gave insight to what was in their souls."

Early on he recognized that tattoos were powerful, visual statements that told stories. Tattoos were, for him, "art for the common man, noble in its self-expressive, decorative, and symbolic impulses." Feeling the need to go deeper into tattooing, he apprenticed with Dale Grande and Buddy "Mac" McFall – well-known names in the Chicago tattoo scene. Influenced by Cliff Raven, a young, dedicated tattoo artist with a strong sense of aesthetics, George developed his own "flash" based on Japanese and Oceanic motifs. Unlike today, few customers wanted exotic or artistic tattoos, so he began creating constructions and tattooed sculpture.

The colors, the images, the way the story of Moby-Dick evolves through Klauba's work, is engaging to say the very least. And, think, that's just one of the artists.

If you're a RAM member, come to the gallery walk and reception for members on Friday, April 17, starting at 5 p.m. If you're not a member (yet), come to the FREE public opening and FREE gallery walk on Saturday, April 18. RAM has extended hours that day, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The guided gallery walk begins at 11 a.m.

And, while you're out and about getting inspired by the visual arts here in Rockford, Spring ArtScene is all over town! From traditional art venues to carriage barns and restaurants, check it out! It's free to attend and might just introduce you to some local artists you don't already know about. Check out the Rockford Area Arts Council's Web site, springartscene.com, for a complete list of artists and venues. Almost all of the Spring ArtScene venues are open Friday, April 17, 5-9 p.m., and Saturday, April 18, 3-9 p.m.

Map it out. See some art. There's bound to be something, if not many things, that you'll like. So, block off some time this weekend, April 17-18. You've got art to see.

Contact RAM Education Director Elizabeth Dailing at edailing@rockfordartmuseum.org.

From the April 15-21, 2009 issue.

Copyright © 2002-2009 The Rock River Times

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