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"Collapsing Histories: time, space, and memory" is a show of haunting beauty. The works exhibited, though cataloging catastrophic events in history, do so with unmistakable sensitivity. The seven artists exhibiting - Santa Cruz artists Sally Clark, Ian Everard, Rebecca Ramos and Robynn Smith; Los Angeles artist James Fee; Katsushige Nakahashi (documented by Seattle artist Sean Frego); and Chicago artist Elyse Koren-Camarra - are all at least one generation removed from the historical event they depict. This is an eclectic collection of works, each artist approaching the issues of time, space, and memory, with their own unique application of various mediums: photography, printmaking, drawing or watercolor. Their inspiration is often taken from childhood memories; recalling stories that their parents told them, or stories that their parents neglected to tell them. Sometimes, it is the stories that were buried, hidden from view or suppressed that delivered the strongest motivation for the works exhibited. For example, James Fee's photographic series of Peleliu began after his father committed suicide. The works retrace his father's steps through a drawn out struggle with the Japanese forces in the South Pacific island of Peleliu, and his father's own private struggle with his memories of this horrific front. Fee's work is characteristic of all the works exhibited; because although the subject of his work is admittedly difficult, it does not reject the viewer, rather, it invites contemplation through its beauty. The works are not moralistic or righteous, but offer an honest and individual perspective. (There is no agitprop here.)

Collapsing Histories, while planned well in advance of September 11th, inescapably addresses some of the questions that we are currently asking and no doubt will be asking in the future. How do we come to terms with and represent an event that seems to defy explanation? Some of these works, in advance of this most recent catastrophic event, offer some answers. Each work perfectly couples what might seem like an unlikely match: catastrophe and beauty.

There will be a Gentrain Society Lecture on the topic of this exhibition at MPC on Wednesday, April 14th, 1:30-2:20 pm.

Gallery hours are: Tuesday - Wednesday: 11-3
Thursday - Saturday: 11-5:30
And by appointment.

previous exhibitions...