Page 19 - the NOISE March 2014

Seagull by Frederica Hall is an example of the artist’s mastery of the cosmos, at West of the Moon Gallery this First Friday.
thologies surrounding certain constellations, the meaning they were bestowed with and the imagery associated with them, and this guides her own perception.
For instance the Westward Wave contains Cygnus, the swan, which contains a black hole. “All cultures relate some sort of bird with that part of the sky,” she says. “There’s got to be something to that. Then there’s the Hopi mythology that when you are fully evolved, when you die, you become a star. When we perfect this physical reality, we be- come a star, something greater that adds to all that is.”
Seek, question and ponder as she might, a lot of the allure of the cosmos resides in the mystery. If the cosmos is infinitely expand- ing, there is always a further star to reach for, a guiding light for scientists and visionaries, the pioneers of the frontier of consciousness leading the way for the masses.
“’The contemplation of celestial things will make a man speak and think more sublimely and magnificently when he descends to hu- man affairs,’” says Ms. Hall, quoting Cicero.
“We’re so caught up in our human condi- tion and stuck in this world of petty fights and horrible wars. For me it’s transformative because it’s so much bigger than us, so be- yond us.
“I’m looking for these images because I think they’re conscious beings, and to imply a benevolence there. I think there’s an intel- ligence so beyond anything we can compre- hend, we just can’t see it.” Ms. Hall may be an exception to the rule.
Ms. Hall’s show “The Heavens are Alive” features 16 new oil paintings and will be on display during the month of March at West of the Moon Gallery, 14 N. San Fran- cisco Street with an opening reception and meet and greet during First Friday ArtWalk. WestoftheMoonGallery.com
FredericaHallArts.com
VHAY GALLERY GOES THREE DIMENSIONAL
John Stebila is the first artist invited to participate in a joint show at the new and hip Vhay Gallery on the square in downtown Flagstaff. At first his found object assemblag- es — which build upon musical instruments, clocks, and wooden shoe inserts — might seem an odd pairing with Ms. Vhay’s elegant oil paintings of figures and flowers, but they add a three dimensional quality that enhanc- es the space, and compliments it.
Mr. Stebila’s pieces are whimsical assem- blages with a steampunk edge that manage to be both sweet and serious objets d’art. For those who haven’t noticed the current steam punk trend — it is denoted by the incorpo- ration of gears, clockworks (components of steam-powered machinery), monacles, gog- gles, and top hats. A fantastical sub-genre of science fiction, its roots lie in the British In- dustrial Revolution and draw from the futur- istic novels of H.G. Wells. In modern times, it’s taken on a goth-like quality, hence the punk part of it.
Mr. Stebila’s work incorporates a lot of steampunk imagery, but for the most part his work veers toward delight. His wooden shoes are embellished with interpretative variations of wings, suggestive of the god Mercury — one forms the base of a whimsi- cally Victorian and fully functional clock and desk lamp.
“I marry pieces that have subtle relation- ships,” says Mr. Stebila, “and then you have to let your mind do the rest. Some have a narra- tive, some don’t; some are functional, some not. They kind of build themselves. Very rare- ly do I see something in its completion in my mind. I try to find pieces connected to happy synapses in peoples’ minds,” says Mr. Stebila.
“People of every age delight in looking at this stuff ... I get a lot of smiles.”
On the back wall, is an arc of guitars
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thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • MARCH 2014 • 19