Artspace 1616, the hidden gallery gem of Del Paso Heights, houses a collection of local working artists, and frequently rotates exhibitions in a wide range of content and media. At present, three shows are on display that feature works on paper in highly distinctive and varying forms. The artists are Radmila Jovandic-Dapic, Gioia Fonda, and Sandra Cappelletti, and the content of their works couldn't be more different. Fortunately, the differences and similarities between these shows allow for them to shine individually. The flow of the gallery space also provides clear partitions that charge a visual reset, and no room for confusion between each artist’s works. Balkans by Jovandic-Dapic, Tomorroshambo: 40 or so harmless experiments with secret meanings by Fonda, and Birds and Other Creatures by Cappelletti are three separate shows that don’t necessarily go together, but they do inspire curiosity to explore and introspection to discuss.
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| Gioia Fonda | |
Gioia Fonda’s Tomorroshambo consists of works on paper that are colorful and deliberately coded. Fonda kindly answered any questions we posed at the reception, and it is clear that she uses her role as an artist to engage with the community directly; whether through interactive works like her “Give a Fork” project, “Pink Week,” teaching painting and drawing at Sacramento City College, or, in this case, forty or so works on paper that display visual thinking and archetypal imagery that are de-coded depending upon participation. Fonda also displays sculptural forms and drought resistant plants in the gallery niches, but the emphasis is on her two-dimensional works on recycled screenprint paper she found riffling through her studio. Hung on the left wall of the gallery are approximately forty small scale sheets of paper arranged salon style. Each work has an individual title, and they all were completed in 2017. This arrangement appears lighthearted, and like previously mentioned, a type of visual thinking and working out of elements mainly in watercolor, gouache, ink, fabric, and other mixed media are at play. Upon closer reading, and with the assistance of a de-coder, the repeated imagery of circles, teeth, rainbows, fruit, eggs, rocks, phallic forms, cages/impediments, shells and desserts serve as signifiers for universal, collective meaning. This particular series relies upon the captions as support, and without them, the reflective aspect of the works might be lost or dismissed since the de-coder is on a piece of printer paper that too closely resembles the works on display.
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| Sandra Cappelletti | |
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| Sandra Cappelletti |
In a secluded and well-lit open hallway in the gallery, Sandra Cappelletti’s works of ink on paper are displayed. Her series depicts animal caricatures in a deliberate and farcical manner. Cappelletti’s creatures are fun and ironic, and altogether exude a double meaning easily detected due to the artist’s ability to finely render detail that conveys meaning. Some absurdly depict puns, such as "Playing Possum", in which a possum is walking on its hind legs whilst strolling and enjoying something through headphones connected to a device. In others, definite social and pop cultural references are glaring; such as in "Feel the Bern", in which a skeletal donkey wearing a Bernie Sanders t-shirt and a party hat holds a bomb with a burning fuse. These illustrations elucidate commentary in their well-rendered forms, and are reasonably priced for interested collectors to purchase with ease.
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| Radmila Jovandic-Dapic |
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| Radmila Jovandic-Dapic |
Lastly, “Balkans” takes up the largest space with evocative and poetic works on paper hung or arranged as sculptural installations. Jovandic-Dapic’s body of work explores the medium of paper in an alchemical way, the grisaille earth tones make some works appear as tarnished metal, ephemeral and transient as time. Most of her installations are larger in scale, and are best analyzed in units. For instance, on the right adjacent wall to the main doors, ten paper sculptures are displayed that appear like almond-shaped seed pods hanging and catching movement. Individually they are unique, and as a whole they examine growth and decay. Many of the works are hung on fishing line from a clip, and while we question the integrity of this method of displaying a body of work (as it may affect the artwork), it does allow for movement and a kinetic energy to move throughout the show. It is as if they are breathing and listening with you. Some works have a domestic quality, signified by the cross-stitching of house structures, and another hangs like a quilt - a patchwork of paper fragments, tattered like distant memories. We were particularly engaged with a sculptural set of triangular paper forms displayed as an installation. In this series, small and large paper origami stand like tables arranged on the floor. They appear in groupings, like herds where the small gather and surround the larger. Dynamic works, such as the few mentioned, fill Jovandic-Dapic’s show, and while they are in dialogue with one another, they also share a contemplative landscape for viewers to investigate.
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| Radmila Jovandic-Dapic |
It can be challenging to keep up with exhibitions and events at Artspace 1616 unless you’re signed up with their email list or follow them on Facebook. So, we strongly urge you to take a visit and stay informed. Artspace 1616 exhibitions are curated by Mima Begovic and contribute to the discourse on contemporary art in a lively and accessible space. Artspace 1616 is located at 1616 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA and gallery hours are Thurs-Sat 12pm-6pm.
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