Most
artists that I know work in isolation. Yes, there are some collaborations, but
on the whole they are solitary in their creation. But Roy Jenuine has seemingly
tucked himself away in his Leucadia garage workshop for a quite a while. I
reported on his work in 2012 when his art was chosen for the Invitation
exhibition at the Cannon Gallery by Karen McGuire. Back then I said, “… (he) has stories to tell
and allows our imaginations to fill in the blanks although we are directed by
the visuals. Jenuine’s small figures holding on to picnic tables in gale force
winds generated by drawn desk fans are charming…. we feel we are let into
the world of an acute observer of life.”
His
education at San Diego State University precludes him from being considered a folk
artist, but I think this artist’s humility makes him relate to those untrained,
but highly skills community of storytellers. His choice of materials is very
intentional and even when upcycled it is finely finished.
These
are sculptures even when they perform as a chest of drawers or a table. Jenuine
has a point of view based on his personal experiences. One work records a
childhood memory of a plane crash in his neighborhood. Another was when he was
depressed and posing on a picnic table for a series of photographs reflecting
his moods. Many record days with his dog with added drawing notations which give
a authenticity to the work. Those often tiny hand drawn sketches are in
contrast to the pristine surfaces.
Wave variations are evident in number of
works, both on and off the wall. Observing the ocean, noticing temperature differences, patterns, wildlife interactions...these are all evident in the art. For all the elegant treatments of shapes and forms, it might be noticing that is Roy Jenuine's real superpower.
No comments:
Post a Comment