Beauty in the Macabre: Featured October Exhibitions
By MADELNE HAPPOLD
With fall in full season, October comes with an air of mystery and eerie intrigue. Delve into all things dark and find beauty in the macabre with these featured exhibitions.
Double Diablerie at International Currents Gallery
View art that dares to dance with the devil himself. The John David Mooney Foundation will be featuring Double Diablerie, an exhibition of large scale screen prints, lithographs, etchings, and four limited edition artist books plus two unbound editions. The exhibition is composed of works by Scottish artists Ian Howard and Arthur Watson and Japanese artists Sotaro Ide and Hisashi Kurachi.
Howard and Watson were inspired by the devil’s influence in regional Scottish folklore, and found corresponding themes in the prints of Ide and Kurachi. The exhibition connects Celtic Scotland and Nippon (ancient Japan) by examining the two cultures’ relationships with the devil through geography, including mountains named for the Devil, groves of trees with spiritual significance, incantations, scapegoat rituals and ghostly manifestations. The show melds the distant landscapes of Japan and Scotland into one cohesive space inspired by the devil.
The exhibition will run through October 20, 2016 at the International Currents Gallery.
Dia de los Muertos: A celebration of lives lived at The Rangefinder Gallery at Tamarkin Camera
Three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Joe Patronite honors the traditional Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos with his photography series entitled Dia de los Muertos - a celebration of lives lived. Wandering the streets of Tucson, Arizona on the morning of the All Souls Procession, Patronite draws upon his street photography experience as a photojournalist to capture what he coins “images which reflect quirkiness in society, mixed with spontaneity and some humor.”
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, focuses on celebrating and honoring past loved ones who have since departed. The ongoing photography project offers a historical view of Mexican/Latin culture and the holiday’s theme of remembrance. Patronite captures the lavishness of the holiday and the processions, juxtaposed with the solemn reverence of its attendees.
The project will be on display at The Rangefinder Gallery with an opening reception on Friday, October 9.
Dangerous Lullabies II at Lakeside Arts Park at the Dole
These lullabies don’t offer the relief of sleep, but instead draw viewers towards the dark. Opening for its second year, Dangerous Lullabies II features artwork that explores the allure of that deemed frightening. Paintings, sculptures, and fine art selected by artists from across the country highlight the disturbing beauty and curious attraction to the dark and unsettling.
The historic Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake, IL will provide an eerie backdrop for the exhibition, as the mansion is rumored to be haunted by the previous owner Eliza Ringling, widow of famous circus magnate Al Ringling. The show is curated by J + K Isacson in partnership with the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park and features artists: Eli Powell, Randall Stringer, Fred Larucci, Carolyn Bouso, Vince Natale, and more.
Dangerous Lullabies II is on view at Lakeside Legacy Arts Park at the Dole from October 7-26, 2016.
Top image: Photo by Joe Patronite, Courtesy Rangefinder Gallery at Tamarkin Camera