Page 18 - the NOISE February 2014

18 • FEBRUARY 2014 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
COntInUeD FrOM 17
SNAPSHoTS iN PAiNT
“(Un) Still Life” continues at Coconino Center for the Arts through the month of February, showcasing the work of 32 local, regional and national artists.
The unifying principle of the exhibit was the requirement that every piece had to contain a human figure — or parts of one — but beyond that, the artists’ interpretations span the spectrum. Michigan artist Miranda Grant presents unnerving close-up of defor- mities — gap-toothed gums, a prosthetic arm with hook; alongside Flagstaff’s Charmagne Coe’s whimsical watercolors. Also in the mix is a pencil portrait of Flagstaff filmmaker Ed George by Charlie Bynar, so life-like it ap- pears to be a photograph at first glance. Jer- emy Singer juxtaposes the modern with the traditional in shadowy overlays of a young Native boy listening to an iPod while wearing moccasins and a turquoise conch belt.
“The show was conceived as a figurative painting show where each piece would con- vey a moment in time, hopefully evocative of some emotion,” says CCA Deputy Director Elizabeth Hellstern. “Still lifes are based on objects; ‘un’ still lifes are based on subjects. We don’t often get to stare at people, to look at them and read their faces as long as we’d like to. Paintings are a great way for us to take a longer look at someone, to see the emotions and details of their expression.”
Four Flagstaff artists were invited to show works: Erica Vhay, who, in addition to jury- ing the show, is exhibiting her paintings of three gossiping women and a man drinking coffee. Mike Frick’s large profile un, which he made specifically for the show, is on dis- play as well as a few provocative pieces on cardboard. Gary McAllister’s Emma Dean is an illustrative action shot of John Wesley
The Hired Gun by Charlie Bynar is among the plethora of portraits at “(Un) Still Life” at CCA.
Powell and crew riding the river. The young and talented Sky Black shows The Moment Of..., a surrealist image of a tiger and horse fleeing from disaster while the artist is insu- lated from the chaos, but forced to stand by and watch helplessly.
“We do have a greater Arizona presence,” says Damian Taylor, program coordinator and gallery assistant. “We told the artists wanted images of people experiencing a uni- versal emotion. We wanted to have a show that would be diverse in technique, subject and approach, and I definitely feel like we got what we were asking for.”
“(Un)Still Life” runs Tuesday-Saturday, 11AM-5PM, thru February 20, at Coconino Center for the Arts, 2300 N. Fort Valley Road
in Flagstaff, (928) 779-2300.
oF BeADS, BAGS AND BALi
I had to jump on the opportunity to meet with artist John Binzley because this migrat- ing bird only lands in Jerome for a scattered four months a year, this time in preparation for February’s Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, where Mr. Binzley will sell his hand-cut leather bags and belts adorned with intricate bead- work, artwork, and lapidary silver jewelry. The rest of the year, between trips to the far reaches of the world to garner materials and inspiration, Mr. Binzley makes his home in Bali.
Mr. Binzley moved to Jerome in 1976, at the tail end of the first wave of bohemians that revitalized the town into the microcos- mic creative mecca it is today. In 1983, he took his first trip to the East and it literally opened up a world of possibilities. Still, he’s held onto his studio in the Old Jerome High School for 30 years — and it shows. Crammed with won- drous artifacts from around the world, I get the sense I sometimes feel in Jerome — that