Last night Colin and I went to some openings and I enjoyed the 'IF LOVE COULD HAVE SAVED YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE LIVED FOREVER' show at Bellweather. It dealt with death and the memorial in a really direct manner, without coming across as mellow dramatic. On first glance I thought some of the pieces were a little sloppy for my tastes, particularly the Joss Paper Effigies (though I suppose they do provide a funny commentary on the Westernization of Chinese Tradition), and the Paa Joe slave castle coffin replica, but I'm having second thoughts after reading the press release. I thought the first was slightly overwhelming in such a small space (it took up an entire wall, and almost completely swallowed up any of the power the Tammy Rae Carland photograph had, which was a favorite), and I felt the Paa Joe needed too much additional information to add to the context of the show. To me, they both felt slightly out of place.
The Tammy Rae Carland piece, however, was definitely a favorite, like I said.
I've always been more than a bit influenced by her work, and this was a nice departure from her "Lesbian Beds" series, though it had similar themes of evidence of what was once there. Definitely a high point.
I also particularly enjoyed the Lisa Ross photographs of Sufi Shrines in the back, which added a somber feeling to the show. Her tone and composition is great in both the images, and I love the sense of ephemeralness the shrines have. They're such beautiful, fleeting burst of color and line that seem like they could blow away at any moment. Really lovely.
http://bellweather.com
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