In Base Gallery’s current exhibition, rooms are occupied by the startling and compelling figurative sculptures of Rhonda Gushee. “This show is my swan song,” she was telling visitors at the opening as she discussed plans for moving south in the coming year. New Works boasts a number of new directions for Gushee.
The particular approach to darkness, brokenness and figures constructed from mismatched body parts that local audiences have admired in Gushee’s primarily raku ceramic work is present, but pushes further in several directions. On the one hand, some of the torsos topped with cracked skulls and sporting brightly colored corsages and even a tutu-wearing Darth Vader are fairly overt in conjuring up monster-movie effects and also some degree of Rock & Roll provocation (skulls, roses, rebellion-streaked personalities). But there are also occasional pieces like “Bird Woman” and “Bird Boy” that are suggestive, poetic and discreet.
The doll heads are attached to cocoon-like bodies — notably, these birds don’t fly with visible wings, emphasizing birds as soulish metaphors. Apart from the objects themselves, Gushee is always exploring different means of presentation. One wall features a series of small, toy-like figures hung in a row, like a playful firing squad. Get gallery details and find nearby bars and restaurants here.
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2008.