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'Critics' Choice' Features Local Artists in DUMA Exhibit

An exhibition curated by Chapel Hill art critic Julia Morton that features postmodern works by three Triangle artists will open at the Duke University Museum of Art on Thursday, April 13. The featured artists are Kent Williams of Chapel Hill, Andrea Lekberg of Durham and Michael Salter of Raleigh, all of whom Morton characterized as innovative and whose work she said merited broader recognition. "These artists aren't getting the attention they deserve because they aren't in New York, London or Los Angeles," Morton said. "But I think they could compete on a national or even an international level." The exhibition, titled "Life Studies: Circa 2000," will be located in the museum's Upper Foyer Gallery. The works touch on themes of turmoil, social inequality and paranoia and reflect Morton's current thinking. The museum is open to the public at no charge, and the exhibition runs through May 28. The exhibition consists of:

  • Williams' painting "Self Portrait as Rodin's The Walking Man, with Appendages," which reveals the emotional turmoil surrounding the artist's role as a father, according to Morton. In the painting, a figure of a man marches through a vast, storm-threatened landscape, guiding his two sons. The man's heart is gashed open and his arms are cut off at the shoulders, but somehow the boys remain innocent and unaware of the father's suffering, even as they hold onto his severed hands. This complex image represents both the challenge and honor of parenting, Morton said.
  • Lekberg's installation "The Collection," which consists of nine small black trunks mounted side-by-side on a wall. Inside each trunk are ornate, miniature mid-19th century dresses, all made in shades of gray. The art is not specifically about women's issues, Morton said. Lekberg uses these objects familiar to women to represent all of humanity and to suggest that while people are all similar, each individual is locked inside life's limiting box. Still, human beings strive to make themselves unique, just as the intricate detailing of each dress points to the survival of the creative spirit.
  • Salter's graphic depictions "Dog Downtown," "Into the Wind" and "Air," which employ a language of symbols that gives voice to emotions deeply rooted in human consciousness, Morton said. Dog Downtown features a city street with a small plastic dog glued to a wall inside the image. The work questions reality, according to Morton. Into the Wind features a little man walking with his head down and his coat flying into wind coming from a hose. This work suggests that most troubles are man-made. All three pieces are outwardly light and amusing at first, but upon reflection one's mind assigns a deeper meaning.

 

This year's exhibition is the sixth in the Critic's Choice series, which was inaugurated by the museum of art in 1996. In keeping with the series' theme, the museum annually invites a local art critic to curate a show of works by North Carolina artists. The exhibition - whether monographic, thematic or eclectic - is the critic's choice. An opening reception will be held at the museum on Thursday, April 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Morton is expected to make a few remarks and Williams, Lekberg and Salter also will attend.

Written by Noah Bartolucci.