Chris Sickels: The Big Small World of Red Nose Studio Exhibition Review

The work Chris Sickels produces is very impressive and whimsical. The stories he tells in his work is very funny and beautiful. The show that he presented at  The Art Institute of Boston had a great mixture of sculptures, drawings, sketches and video. He is a very well celebrated artist being the creator and director of the award-winning Red Nose Studio. Red Nose Studio's illustrations appear in advertising, magazines, books, newspapers, packaging, character development and animation.

This exhibition did not do justice to his work. He is artist that is very inventive and fun, this exhibition did not showcase this. The exhibition was very traditional and not well organized. There was no literature to describe his work witch left the viewer to wonder. the Exhibition was very simple it didn't give a mood to the work which would have made the work so much more impressive if it did. the set up wasn't clean, there were two extremely large speakers in the corner which was, you can say the least an eye sore. They didn't even try to hid the wires coming from them, or the TV. There was a separation in the show dividing up the work and putting it in the other room was confusing.

This exhibition took away from Sickels work, the presentation of the work seem to be put together quick and under thought about. this Exhibition could have been great but it just feels like a missed the mark fr me. the work has such a glorious theme that could have been mirrored with in the Exhibition but they seem to ignore it.

FINAL PIECES

Fragile Strength 

Fragile strength is a sculpture made from leaves in the form of a whirlpool. This piece plays with contrast, life vs. death and wet vs. dry. The life is created from the subject of water in a whirlpool vs. the dead leaves. The mix of concepts emerged in the collecting of materials and the construction of the piece.  These ideas play a lot in the contrast of the piece. The viewer is permitted to find the contrast and question its motives.   

             Fragile strength is a whirlpool that plays with contrast; this piece uses its materials to continue with the concept. This piece has a wire body armature. The leaves are covered with gel medium to add support and prevent cracking.  This piece depicts the water phenomena of a whirlpool using a natural land material, leaves. Suspending this piece allows the viewer to feel as if they are under water experiencing the water twirl in front of them. The viewer is also able to see a little bit above the water so they can surface of the water  and how the whirlpool starts to create itself.

            

  

Static Wave

Static wave is an idea that goes along with structured flow. This piece is made from found branches to convey the idea of stiffness and strength that natural wood gives. The branches give the contour of a iconic wave to show the contrast of flow and structure. The collection of branches were constructed in a wave, and the wood has unity from color. Varies in shape, size, movement, and texture as the ocean has a since of unity I wanted that to be clear in this piece. The piece being hung to give a hint of movement that connects it back to the flow in the ocean. The wave is also hung to give the feel of weightlessness, much like one feels while in the waves.