Continuing through July 8, 2012
In order to see the latest show by Gronk you must traverse to a basement gallery kindly labeled the Bunker. Walking down the steep steps, the natural light disappears and the simple track lighting instantly directs your attention to a large black menacing claw that is reaching out from the middle of the gallery floor. The white talons stretch backward as if this human sized hand were grabbing a victim. Instead another claw, slightly smaller, reaches downward from the ceiling mirroring the gesture.
“The Giant Claw” was a cheesy 1950s science fiction film about a dinosaur-like bird that was billed as being “bigger than a battleship” that wreaks havoc from “Broadway to Bombay.” Riddled with poor special effects, the film has become a major inspiration for the artist. Rather than belittle this kitsch, Gronk reveres the aesthetic and the story. The three-pronged claws that are centered in the room interact with the rest of the exhibit in a dynamic fashion. Several of Gronk's sensitive 2D works cling traditionally on the walls out of harm's way, but it’s the silhouetted plane that is suspended from the ceiling and the heeled shoe leaning against the wall that appear to be within the claws grasp as you circle the installation. The least likely of threats to put an end humanity, you can just hear the screech of the bird as it captures this plane and our security in mid-flight.
Published courtesy of ArtSceneCal ©2012
