When our plans were solidified to visit Cleveland, several friends and artists persistently suggested "The Sculpture Center is a must see while your in Cleveland." On the tail end of our successful journey, we drove down Euclid Ave. and turned onto East 123rd Street -- the easternmost edge of University Circle -- where just to the right visitors are greeted with several outdoor sculptures as they pull into the parking lot. What we found in the U configuration of buildings is a thriving place with an outdoor sculpture garden, where art is archived, sculptors of Ohio showcase their talents, and the wonderful collection of one of the most prominent sculptors in the region, David Davis has its home.
The sculpture center was founded by David Davis in 1989 and since it's creation has given hundreds of emerging Ohio sculptors opportunities to showcase their talents. According to the Center's web-site, one can expect to find four to six early career Ohio sculptors showcased in solo shows throughout the winter and into early spring. Our visit fell in the second installment of The Sculpture Center's W2S series (Window to Sculpture Emerging Artist) and on the compound we visited the solo shows of Qian Li and Daniel McDonald.
Qian Li's solo exhibition (located in the East Building) entitled "No Matter How Hard I Yell" features three mixed media installations. Upon entering the gallery space viewers encounter Li's first piece on the left, which is a hospital bed covered with a white sheet and a video of an face illuminating from below.
Continuing through the dark space are a set of wooden stairs leading up to the far wall and a mysterious opening. As individuals climb the stairs, they feel warm air stream from the negative space. Peering though the open space in the wall is a dream world with imagery of a city alley and backs of balconies in forced perspective. The view is endless, the warmth emanating from the space draws in the senses and transports you to Li's imagination. This piece entitled, No Matter How Hard I Yell #2 feels like a scene from Hitchcock's "Rear Window". The viewer is left voyeuristically peering down over a frightening landscape, with pairs of hands gripping steel balconies tightly as they dangle over the large abyss. The final installation, I noticed upon exit. Large ceiling tiles of the space were removed and placed above was a large inflatable balloon. Repeating the motif before, hands dangled from the inflatable, gripping the string just above the opening.
On the opposite side of the compound, visitors find Daniel McDonald's solo exhibition (located on Euclid in the store front space) entitled Reluctant Redemption, which features four mixed media sculptures. McDonald's work deals with internal dilemmas he feels from the overlap of his spiritual upbringing and cultural convictions. The mixture of materials and craftsmanship exhibited on all of the sculptures is of the highest quality. The blending of casted bronze and a variety of metals immediately gives prominence to the sculpture. The center piece of the exhibition, entitled "Reluctant Redemption: In the Mouth of a fish," is a play on a biblical story from McDonald's up-bringing and the tongue-and-cheek humor of the sculpture rings true. The main strength of this sculpture is the weight and balance created by the suspended elements of figure inside the fish's mouth, suspended by a hook attached to a steel frame overhead.
In the back space of the gallery is an installation called "Reluctant Redention: On the Road to Damascus." In this installation the hand of god reaches out from the wall towards a life size figure being thrust backwards. The gesture of the figure is the highlight of the piece and the humor comes when you investigate the name tag on the suit... but you'll have to see that on your future visit to The Sculpture Center.
Both solo exhibitions are on display at The Sculpture Center thru April 16th.
Relevant links include:
The Sculpture Center
Quin Li
Daniel McDonald
Thanks,
parProjects
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