#modernformations

Stephen Tuomala’s exhibit of a new body of work, Death Masked,>/em> opened during May’s Unblurred. I’ve seen Mr Tuomala’s work in several exhibits, and this is a real departure, from his use of color to his substrate.

It is a discordant exhibit, with it’s light and pretty colors and violent subtext. Continuity remains in Tuomala’s interest in the body, but with a twist. All of the images pay homage to Lucha libre, the masked wrestlers so popular in Mexican culture. The pastel watercolors tones remind me a bit of Dia de Los Muertas, with the spooky confections of flower-embellished skulls.

Mr Tuomala has assembled a gallery of just masks across one wall of the back room, fascinating the visitors during the opening reception. The individual works had enough narrative cues to present an interpretative path. But the majority of the exhibit is centered around targets, with human silhouettes wearing masks and colorful bullseyes covering their torsos. The bullseyes themselves are filled with small figures in a myriad of poses and gestures.

Yes, the Death Masked exhibit is still ongoing. You can see Mr. Tuomala’s exhibit through June 20 at ModernFormations. Stop by for this coming Unblurred.

Where have the last two weeks gone? I had said I would continue with posts about April’s Unblurred and here it is, days before Structures closes! It’s such a terrific show, too.

I spoke to Ron Copeland at the opening, and he told me that this particular group of artists have shown together several times. Maybe that’s why the show is so tight. In this edition, all of the members seem to be working with habitats in some form or other. So, with a diverse base of mediums, the artists have brought their own concepts to the exploration of abodes.

Megan Herwig | Uninhabited Lands

I really liked these assemblages of Megan Herwig (pictures above). Very clean, but with a nice amount of detail. They’re sort of a DIY plan for some theoretical space. Also, Megan Shalonis has a piece in this exhibit too, along with her show at Mr. Roboto, just up the street.

It is short notice, but ModernFormations has regular gallery hours on Thursday. The gallery opens at 7pm, and this will be your last chance to see the exhibit.

I went to the closing reception for Somebody, Anybody… Everybodylast Friday at ModernFormations. Both of the artists, David Grim and Mark Panza, were there. What a lovely evening! I’m so glad I had a chance to go, since I wasn’t able to attend the opening…