Vinnedge's impetus for her dystopian body of work reverberates immediately off her boldly themed title: consumerist culture and its fierce cycle of imposed improvement and renewal. An intrinsically saturated subject matter is further seasoned by a whole set of idiosyncratic parameters. The artist reveals in her statement a few of the sub-themes that she attempted to weave into her work, such as viewer cognizance, pop symbolism, media experimentation and a deep passion for oil painting.
Confused inadequacy would come as no surprise then in a first attempt to decode this work, especially if this is viewed within the context of a typical gallery reception with all its distractions. On first approach the viewer's gaze is snatched by hundreds of small shimmering teacup hooks, which are arranged in minimalist grid formations and take over entire sections of painted surface. Indeed so conspicuously yet skillfully integrated within the paintings, these hooks present the first clue for unraveling Gargantua. With canny execution the artist makes a bold move of insolence towards her own adorned application of pigment and thus brings the work into the realm of anti-painting; inciting the viewer to look for and engage with the heterogeneous qualities of her work. In a departure from the artist's statement of "cute, seemingly innocuous, but threatingly insidious" the hooks - possessing an eloquent allusion to Duchamp's last and less infamous painting "Tu m" - could also be interpreted as a twisted metaphor: "hooked" in a purely conceptual way. This interpretation lends another clue in reading Vinnedge's work by demonstrating that not only is she ultimately devoted in contradicting her own, but all the more happy to indulge the viewer in an array of cerebral acrobatics.
More playful compositions can be found off-hand in the titles of the artwork such as: "Buy More, Use-Less" or "Fight More, Hope-Less" and so on. According to the artist, "the second verb/adverb combinations can be linked to become adjectives that might suggest the futility of such battles or contests".
The works vary from single 48"x 48" wood panels to diptychs and triptychs consisting of combinations of square panels ,in some cases with 12"x 48" vertical inserts assure a considerable visual impact with their size. The apparent frenzy of bold imagery and deployment of diverse techniques assert a provocative, aggressive edge. Larger than life nudes in extreme postures and gestures constitute the most imposing elements in every composition. These arresting figures are additionally charged via a series of orchestrated contradictions: realistic appearances give way to hyper-real renderings and an array of visual effects reminiscent of digital imagery manipulation. The figures alternate from being partly rendered in coy realism to muted, often cold hues and then again brightly illuminated parts often seep swiftly into deep shadow. Superimposed splashes, drippings and lines of paint animate these figures in distress, and more importantly, help link them to the overall composition.
In formal terms the integrity of the main figures despite the plethora of visual effects, is kept fairly intact emphasizing their primary compositional role. It is important to underline here how methodically these figures have been stripped visually, and more so intellectually from their innate sensual and aesthetic value. Slight exception to this rule might be the figure in "No Fear, (Push More, Care-Less)" - the only panel completed in 2003.
One of the means by which Vinnedge manages to tame all these visual conflicts into poised compositions, is the use of an underlying system - a grid based on a 12" square. While the self-imposed regulating lines were not strictly followed in the compositions as they were with the dimensions of the panels, they most certainly provided considerable control and a rewarding sense of balance.
Unreserved in disclosing her own methodologies, Vinnedge further utilizes her grid by means of exploring it fully in what consists of a visual and theoretical backdrop of her works. More specifically while the grid is used extensively for regulating the overall theme, its square elements are often utilized as secondary compositions with a puzzle like quality. The imagery in these squares alternates from history, pop culture and media subjects to the more abundant details of human anatomy. In the former cases, Vinnedge utilizes and manipulates photocopies emphasizing the artificially constructed and imposed nature of their depicted subjects. Entirely painted by hand, the latter anatomical references amplify the significance of the human body and in extent the individual. In these square compositions, one can find juxtaposed Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) and baby Jesus with a baby Hindu god or target practice images and detailed images of blood cells and other vital organs. According to the artist these visual references reveal aspects of natural, as well as cultural results of such contests implied by the titles. Perhaps one can even find an implied cynical notion of the technological and scientific achievements of our age that are nevertheless superficially put together in an unresolved metaphysical puzzle.
Gargantua is indeed an ambitious and demanding body of work. If one patiently avoids diversion by disparaging assumptions of seemingly overstated permutations, and proceeds to delve further into this work, one can only grow increasingly fascinated by a rich and sophisticated amalgamation of contradictions. Ultimately, beauty and indeed knowledge are in the eye and mind of the beholder yet with Gargantua the artist records a remarkable attempt in challenging her audience to begin their own quest of the human condition within the current social and economic context.
By Cool Cleveland Contributor Niko Angelis
info@studioangelis.com
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