Pandemonium strikes in Cleve Carney
The piece “riverside” at the Pandemonium exhibit at the Cleve Carney Art Gallery on the College of DuPage on March 11.
March 18, 2015
On March 5, Cleve Carney Art Gallery unveiled the five-week-long showcase of “Carol Jackson: Pandemonium.” Each piece of the collection pushes the boundaries of modern thinking, prompting gallery visitors to ask themselves the question: are we really free?
Unlike many exhibits that have called the gallery home, Pandemonium inspires viewers with a wide variety of artwork. The collection feels complete by incorporating the underlying theme of freedom in twisted ways that viewers may not recognize, without knowing the backstory on many of the pieces.
The piece “grace” at the Cleve Carney Art Gallery on the McAnnich Art Center at the College of DuPage on March 11.
The focal points of the exhibit are large 3D shapes sticking out from the walls. At a first glance, they seem to have no real purpose, other than incorporating different textiles to create an interesting texture. The photographs on the sides showcase different, somewhat blurry images of cars and roadways. What I did not know immediately is that each photograph is taken from a traffic camera, implying that even in day-to-day activities like driving, humans are always being watched.
Upon turning around, viewers will notice a wall full of graphic scripts created using pen. Each unique phrase is inspiring in itself, some filled with humor and some sentimental. Each quote gained even more meaning, as every quote is one of the last words of a Texas inmate on death row. The words sounded even more beautiful and serious knowing that they came from someone completely aware that their freedom was long gone, and the end of their life was near.
One of the 23 different prints in the piece “I’m Still Awake” in the Cleve Carney at the College of DuPage on March 11.
With the almost hidden meanings behind each piece in the gallery, it is impossible to not start thinking about what freedom really means, and who really has it. This exhibit is designed to make you feel, which it succeeds in doing, especially with the shock factor. Anyone who enters into the gallery, even with an idea of the message of the exhibit, will leave with questions and gut feelings about the points being made with just the words of prisoners and the tracking images of cars.
It is no secret that Carol Jackson is unbelievably talented in many mediums. Someone walking by the gallery could easily tell without closely examining her work. What really brings the exhibit to the next level is the controversial topic of freedom, sending each viewer into a long train of thought. I know I left with a different view on the world around me, even just from spending 20 minutes examining the artwork.
One of the five sculptures in the piece Model T’s at the Pandemonium exhibit at the Cleave Carney Art Gallery on March 11.
“Pandemonium” will be on display through April 11. The gallery will host a special artist talk 2 p.m. on March 17 in the Playhouse Theater. The artist reception will be hosted from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 21.
