CΔCHING OUT @ C. N. Gorman Museum

Central to multimedia artist Holly Wilson's work is the idea of personal narrative. As she states on the title wall of her current exhibit, "Talk Stories," at the C.N. Gorman Museum at UC Davis, "I am interested in stories - the stories of my parents, my ancestors, my family, my community. I am a storyteller...” This solo show features strong sculptural installations, and a few supporting photographic pieces that resonate whether you directly relate to the personal or cultural story behind the work or not. The curatorial factors of this space further support the display of the show, and must not be missed while this Oklahoma-based artist’s works tell their story in Davis, California. The C.N. Gorman Museum at UC Davis is specifically dedicated to showing Native American artists and artists of diverse cultures and histories. Wilson’s heritage of the Delaware Nation/Cherokee provide the backdrop for the inspired narratives behind her work in “Talk Stories.” But as “Talk Stories” suggests, like a game of telephone, there is a shared fusion of history, legend, and personal fabrication within the visual language of the work.   



Holly Wilson with sculpture, image from the artist’s website

The Gorman is a quaint space, but every work in this exhibit is displayed with impeccable balance, and perfectly lit with precise labels. We cannot praise this enough. Many spaces fail to fully display and label shows in a professional manner, and we appreciate this because it supports the artist’s work and doesn’t leave the viewer to fish for information. With that said, we would like to even praise the curatorial decision to place the photography on its own in the exhibit. Alone, Wilson’s photographic work is the weakest part of the show. The quality and scale of the image is captivating; however, they appear inconclusive individually. Displayed next to the sculptures, there is an obvious point of reference. As seen in “In Song,” the young girl’s childlike contortion reflects an expression similar to that seen in the sculpture, “It’s a Thin Line.”  Wilson captures the expression of children and there is an energy of suspension, transition and action that carries throughout the show.

“In Song,” Archival Color Photograph

mounted on 1/4″ plexi with museum mount, image from the artist’s website

 

Most of the sculptures are forged of bronze and are constructed with a wood component. Sometimes the wood is smoothed out, sometimes it is rugged. The use of these materials in their various iterations are like words or parts of ourselves, sometimes smoothed out and soft, other times hardened and sharp. “Bloodline” is one of three large scale works in the show, and it demonstrates the power of personal identity and heritage. This work includes a dissected trunk of a locust tree, and in segmented parts, grouped bronze and patina figures rest atop. The idea of family tree or lineage is almost literal and deeply personal to Wilson, and quite possible any person of Native American descent. The artist constructed this work as a commentary on the official “Dawes Rolls,” or the proven amount of blood verification of American Indian through birth and death records recognized by the U.S. government. The dripping and armless figures all walk in the same direction, as if moving through time and generation. The informative didactic also shares Holly Wilson’s words: “Cigar Figures come from a childhood Native American story that my mother told of the ‘Stick People.’ The ‘Stick People’ would run through the night and call your name; if you went with them, you were never heard from again...The Cigar Figures are my reimagining of that story, now a story of family and my past - a complicated narrative of loss, survival, and resilience.” As the lighting was previously mentioned, these delicate figures are also in dialogue with their shadows, and create the idea that memory and history continuously follow.

“Bloodline,” bronze, patina, and locust, 2015, image from the artist’s website

 

Smaller scale sculptures in the exhibit convey meaning and capture emotion in significant ways, as previously mentioned in “It’s a Thin Line.” “Mother” is another well-balanced sculpture in which the maternal figure is in bronze, perfectly poised on smooth poplar wood. Other sculptures utilize natural geodes like in “Sense of Place,” and integrate the image of birds and masks as another facet of the exhibit. “We Need a Hero” is a sculptural installation completed with bronze and patina, consisting of small parts and arranged on the wall over a large space. This piece is radiant in a dichotomous way. At center there is a child figure balancing on what appears to be the edge of an airplane, and surrounding the figure are blue bombs and more airplanes. Other than the child, all forms are concentric and possibly representing ideas of attack and/or messages being carried. It makes one think of how messages are conveyed, and how their path is semi-permeable, meaning they can both enter from the external and emanate from the internal. The title and heritage of the artist both imbue this work with socio-political tones.

“Sense of Place,” Bronze, Patina and Geode Rock, 2018, image from the artist’s website

 

“Under Our Skin,” a multi-colored grid of miniature busts, is arranged in a 12x12 formation, and stands out completely from the rest of the exhibit due to the colorful material. The sculptural installation displays emotive variations of girls each in a different color, further developing the theme of identity. This theme of identity is felt across cultures and interculturally. As Wilson states in her carefully crafted didactic, “I think if we could see ourselves as all the colors in the crayon box in all the shades we would be kinder we would be able to feel if just for a moment another’s life and our world could change in such a way that kids don’t worry about if they are too light or too dark or if their hair is the right texture to belong.” This piece is inviting and approachable, and creates space for dialogue on building connection both because of and in spite of race, class, religion, and sexual orientation.

Detail of “Under Our Skin,” Crayola crayon, 2017, image from the artist’s website

 

“Talk Story” is one of best exhibit’s we have seen in recent months in this region. Wilson’s work is on display until March 16, 2018, with an artist talk during the closing reception on March 14th from 4pm-6pm. For more information on the artist, visit her website at http://hollywilson.com/ , learn more about the Gorman Museum at http://www.gormanmuseum.ucdavis.edu/ .