Bullshit Heart (1985)
8" h.
bullshit (courtesy of Stanley Marsh 3), jute in welded steel.
Michelle and Richard Pallas Collection.
| This exhibition introduced the
work of four Michigan artists to Chicago
audiences, thanks to the efforts of Opportunities for the Arts and the
cooperation of Artemesia, Detroit Focus, and Race Street
Galleries.
What the individuals selected have in common, beyond their state of
residence, is not clear how; aside from a certain playfulness and an
interest in mixed media, no particular point of view unites them to
provide a curatorial rationale for the show. Jim Pallas is an artist of the amazing imaginative scope, funny, irreverent, entertaining. But the compulsion to include more than enough work in too many media did not serve him well. The funky electronic sculptures would have sufficed to indicate his skills and his aesthetic; the addition of a print, souvenirs of various performances and a series of wall mounted heart shapes gave an unfortunate character to Pallas's share of the exhibition. This kinetic sculptures -- made of wire, cord, motor, plastic bags, reflectors, beads, and more call for audience participation, responding to sounds, motion, or he changes in their environment. Toady, a weird-looking 4' bird with a long wire beak, puffs up and bows upon sensing the viewers approach. Another inflating object, a big wire portrait bust with the ballooning cranium, becomes an exercise in self mockery with the addition of its surprising title; Portrait of the Artist to Be Viewed While Saying "You're Great! You're Terrific! What a Genius." Pallas's sense of humor is friendly and engaging. ... Dialogue Magazine, September 1986 |
