Allston Skirt Gallery's new show, "Strangefolks," features the works of three artists: Logan Grider, John Copeland and Elizabeth Huey. It is an ambitious undertaking for such a small space.
"Strangefolks" includes nine large-scale works, three from each artist. Though the artists' styles differ greatly from one another, the show's title amply connects all three.
The first artist, Logan Grider, has three works on display to the immediate right of the gallery's entrance. At first glance, the viewer can't help but be slightly disappointed by these pieces. His paintings, titled "Media Coverage," "Our-malfunction" and "Futurehuman," are uninspired. The paintings feature familiar "technology is the downfall of society" iconography: broken television sets, steel plates, disconnected wires, et cetera.
Although the paintings are well executed, they fail to achieve the intended effect on the viewer. His paintings seem vaguely reminiscent of a talented kid from high school's well done art project.
John Copeland takes on an intriguing subject matter in his paintings: the human psyche. His works are more difficult to digest than Grider's because it takes a while for each painting to sink in. Two of his paintings, "Remember Me" and "The Dust Flies Forward and the Smoke Blows Back," are set against a completely abstracted gray and white background, evocative of brain matter.
A wide variety of objects, some more easily distinguishable than others, are scattered throughout both paintings. The objects include Christmas trees, skulls and devils. Both paintings feature repetition of these forms as the artist tries to search for something in his past but retrieves nothing but these fragments of objects.
The third artist displayed at Allston Skirt is Elizabeth Huey. Her three works recall a set of twisted storybook images. All of her paintings contain elements familiar to the viewer: religious figures, characters from folklore and fairy-tale architecture. However, when these seemingly innocent components are put together, the composition as a whole produces a feeling of uneasiness.
Familiar castles are shown turned upside-down and destabilized. The angels hover almost menacingly in the dark sky and a fully clothed rabbit lies dead in a pile of dried leaves.
All of the characters - human, animal and religious beings alike - seem disconnected from one another, almost as if they realize they are stuck in the confines of a canvas.
The overall effect is chilling. By skewing these everyday images, the painting catches the viewer off guard. Huey brilliantly uses this technique in a refreshing and innovative way, making her three paintings the clear highlight of the show.
An added feature of Allston Skirt gallery this month is its quirky mini-installation "Love Fest '08." Inspired by Valentine's Day, these little pieces made by over a dozen artists are all not only very enjoyable, but also quite affordable, priced at less than $250 each. Because so many different artists contributed to "Love Fest '08," there are a wide variety of mediums and styles present, including a hand-embroidered t-shirt and tattoo-influenced proclamations of love on white paper. These works are fun and refreshing and would make a very original and personal gift for a loved one.
Allston Skirt is a smaller gallery that packs a lot of punch. The grouping together of Logan Grider, John Copeland and Elizabeth Huey in "Strangefolks" is a clever choice on the part of the gallery. Each artist brings forth a rather pessimistic view of either the real world or the world inside his or her head.
The gallery aims to have six-week rotations of installations, providing new artwork on a regular basis. Allston Skirt is an intriguing gallery and is certainly worth a look.
StrangefolksAt the Allston Skirt Gallery, through Feb. 1665 Thayer St., Boston617-482-3652
