Sunday, September, 11, 1994 / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

WADE WILSON IN THE GALLERIES

14 gutsy young artists’ work is parked in a newly renovated garage

One of the hottest new venues for contemporary art in Fort Worth, Forest Park Art Space, launched its first exhibit yesterday: a group show featuring works by its founding artists, hung in a newly renovated, pristine environment.

Fourteen artists are exhibiting work in the gallery space, formerly the garage of an old filling station. Though the subject matter and media vary, some unifying themes emerge: These artists are young gutsy and talented, and they are pushing the limits with their work, their political orientation and their vision.

Erik Skjolsvik layers space and imagery in his photo-montage Studio and the Butthole Surfers. Layers of hand-colored negatives unfold to reveal the individual focuses of each shot. The artist’s hand is exposed as subjective colors impose their hues over the layered images. The resulting positives—developed photographs—carefully denote each of the steps of Skjolsvik’s intricate process of photo-montage and coloration.

Rob Caslin’s untitled paintings on panel are at once beautiful and grotesque. In one piece, he uses his captivating, photo-realistic technique to portray a single, highly detailed cockroach floating over a pile of crushed-out cigarette butts.

Bill LeSuer carved his untitled dinosaur (based on a drawing by Dallas artist Lee Smith) from mahogany. Its antithetical material is balanced by its comical appearance. With a house hanging on the fins on its bright green back, and a little prehistoric figure guiding the animal with a bridle and rien, this dino definitely ranks with best transportation Bedrock has to offer.

Keith Lymon exhibits a mixed media portrait of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the inventors of the atomic bomb, titled, ?:Between Dreams Deconstructed Man 3.142857. It relates to the ocular paintings that have dominated his work for some time, with its circular radio waves radiating from the figure’s center. This painting, however, represents a bit of a departure for the artist. Poising a photocopy of Oppenheimer’s mugshot next to his painted portrait, Lymon places the figure in a Native American headdress and attaches a small drum at the end of his hand. The seemingly conflicting imagery reflects Lyman’s rather complex vision of things.

Art McSweeney’s Composition—Blue on Orange draws on images from Goya’s black paintings. A dog’s head peers up at a floating Christ figure. The dog is endearing and balances the painful image of the crucified man. The background is subtle in texture yet rich in color, which, the artist points out, results from layering the paint and then sanding the surface.