Popular Genre Shines in Contemporary Art

Last Friday, the Toledo Art Museum lured me to visit. To my delight, it featured a special exhibition called "Small Worlds" with work by several contemporary artists. The collection that captured my interest the most was titled "The City" by Lori Nix.


(If you would like to view "The City," it is linked to a dedicated webpage in her site. For other collections by Lori Nix, browse her website, www.lorinix.net.)

Lori uses unconventional methods with her art. She defines herself as a non-traditional photographer because she constructs the subject matter she photographs. Another difference in her work is her use of old-school photography techniques rather than digital manipulation to achieve the correct lighting and scale. The result is an impressive, whimsical, stunning, off-putting, clever feast for the eyes and mind.

I could have studied each photo for hours, but it only took a quick peek at one of her pictures to recognize the theme. A cataclysmic event has wiped out humanity, and the photos reflect the world a period of time after the event. In almost (or maybe every) shot, some aspect of nature has overtaken the building or space photographed.

I immediately thought of the popularity of post-apocalyptic fiction. For a few years now, novels and movies have regularly portrayed life after a cataclysmic event. It was really cool to see this genre in art form, except with a twist--the artist didn't need a human protagonist to carry a movie or book, and she was free to imagine the world with nature taking over.

As I strolled from photo to photo, I was disturbed and charmed. She did an amazing job of creating a mood in each scene. One in particular, "The Laundromat," has two depictions--daytime and at night. The daytime photo depressed me more than the night photo. The day photo held no sign of life whereas I found two funny rats in the evening one. It made me realize how much life, the sheer act of living, in any form--humans, animals, insects, even trees--brings hope.

Although I can't guarantee you'll enjoy and interpret Lori Nix's work the same way I did, I can assure you you'll be stunned by the level of detail and craftsmanship she uses to create each scene.

Have you had the privilege of viewing any contemporary art lately? Do you see any literary themes manifested in other art forms?

Have a lovely Monday!

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