Continuing through February 15, 2014
Edward Lane McCartney's work is all about the manipulation of materials. This large show of 58 pieces is composed of a wide variety of collage, assemblage, and sculptural pieces. Some people believe that collage and assemblage are the single most revolutionary artistic innovation of the 20th century, and there does not appear to be any decline in their popularity this century. The versatility of the genre is demonstrated by the range and complexity of McCartney's work. “Pour Méret,” a ceramic teapot covered with raccoon fur, is a nod to Méret Oppenheim and her 1936 “Object (Le Déjeuner en Fourrure),” which translates roughly to “Breakfast in Fur.” Oppenheim was a French surrealist who covered a cup, saucer, and spoon with fur, thus creating one of the earliest assemblages.
McCartney creates intricate paper sculptures in which colored squares are cut, stacked, and assembled into both two-dimensional wall pieces and complex spirals. In “Service Award,” he cuts, folds, and compartmentalizes dozens of geometric-patterned silk neck ties to create a tribute to the men who wore them. Trained in the art of metalsmithing, McCartney's bronze brooches are presented as elegant wall pieces. “Line Drawing #7” is a similar but larger piece that works well as a freestanding sculpture, in effect a drawing in space. The artist's jewelry-making experience is evident in many of his complex pieces, which require great skill and patience to manipulate and assemble. “English Country Cottage with Leopard,” for example, is a wall piece constructed of thousands of puzzle pieces painstakingly glued together to create a beautifully textured abstraction.
The show also includes a photo montage, several clever handmade books, an assortment of materials “preserved” in mason jars, kitchen tools transformed into metaphorical statements, and even a salt-cured, vacuum-packed .22 caliber pistol. McCartney prods and provokes the viewer into new ways of seeing mundane objects and materials, while demonstrating the infinite possibilities and enormous expressive potential of manipulating everyday materials into works of art.
