Arabesque Art Catalog

36 Pages·2010·1.68 MB·English

JudyOnofrio
arabesque
JenniferOnofrioFornes

INTRODUCTION
JudyOnofrioandJenniferOnofrioForneshavewantedtoshow
together“forever.”Ihavewantedtoshowthemtogether,ifnot
forever,forquitealongtime.Bothdesireshavecometogetherin
Arabesque,ashowthatisasgracefulandpoignantasthenameimplies.
Whentheideaforamutualexhibitwasforming,Ivisitedagroupshow
thatincludedworkbybothmotheranddaughter.Iknewthenthat
Judy’snewsculpturesthatwerejustbeginningtoincludebonesand
Jennifer’smysteriousfigurativephotographswouldmakeapowerful, JillEwald
engagingshow.AtthattimeIdidn’trealizejusthowpowerful.Judy
hadundergonecancertreatment,aprocessthatalteredbothoftheir
viewsofthematerialworld.Theculminationoftheirexperiencesand
backgrounds,linkedwithsuchalife-alteringsituation,producedthe
workpresentedinthisvisceral,beautifulshow.
Judy‘sbonesculpturesandJennifer’spaintedphotographscombinein
Arabesquetoengagetheviewerthroughhumor,grace,andpoignancy,
whiletheartinvokesadesiretoexploreitsmysteries.
JILL EWALD
DirectorofFlatenArtMuseum
SupportforthiscatalogwasprovidedbytheEllaandKaareNygaardFoundation,St.OlafCollegeFine
ArtsFund,andDr.BurtonOnofrio.PhotographyofJudyOnofrioworkbyRikSferraandJennifer
OnofrioFornesworkbyM.Bass.
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ARABESQUE
byCyndeRandall
WhenIaskedJudyOnofrioandherdaughterJenniferOnofrioForneswhythey
werepresentinganexhibitiontogether,Judyreplied,“We’vewantedtodothis
forever.”Foreverisacompellingidea.Ithasnobeginning,noend,and,magically,
ismostdiscernableinthepresentmoment.Inthehereandnowitisclear:the
twoarekindredspiritsandserveasthestaunchestchampionsforeachother.
Asvisualartists,motheranddaughterarealignedonacorelevel.Theyshare
apreoccupationwiththematerialrealm,wieldingnearalchemicalforcetocreate,
re-contextualize,ortransformmyriadobjectsintopowerfulworksofart.Over
theyears,theyhaveproducedsignificantanddivergentbodiesofwork:Jennifer’s
psychologicallychargedarthaslingeredinthedarkerrecessesoftheworld,while
JudyOnofrioandJennifer
OnofrioFornes Judy’sfantasticiconographyhascelebratedtheabundanceoflife.
Theirmostrecentwork,featuredintheexhibitionArabesque,illuminatesa
shiftinconsciousnessandmaterialformthatisnothinglessthantransformational.
ItmaybesaidthatJudyandJenniferhavereinventedthemselves,releasingtheir
attachmenttoearliervisualmeansandarrivingatanaestheticcommonground
thatisbothelegantandsublime.Here,theobjectorfigurenolongerinvitesa
psychologicalornarrativeread,butservesasadeparturepointforreflectionon
thegreatmysteryandtransitorybeautyoflife.
@
Intheearlyyears,motheranddaughterweresteadfastcompanions.They
spentcountlesshoursworkingside-by-sideinthestudioortravelingonanever-
endingquestforfleamarketsandoutsiderart,whereJudycollectedthemultitude
ofobjectsshelaterincorporatedintohersculptures.
Judymodeledmanythingsforherdaughter.Sheisanamazingself-taught
artist,anadvocateforotherartists,andaleaderintheartscommunity.Sheis
expansiveinherthinkingandfearlessaboutexploringnewterritories.Shemain-
Judylanddetail
tainsexuberanceforlifeandgrandvisionsforherprojects.Overthecourseof
Jennifer’schildhood,Judycreatedlargeinstallationsofclaysculpture,builtfabric
environments,createdmonumentalwoodconstructions,andgeneratedoutdoor
monumentsandpyrotechnicperformances.Allofthesethingsmadeanextraor-
dinaryimpressiononJennifer,who,tothisday,citesJudyasthemostpowerful
influenceonherartisticidentity.
WhenJenniferlefthomein1984topursueherlifeasanartist,itwasclear
fromthestartthatshewasimmunetotheconventionalboundariesofmedia.As
shedevelopedherartisticpractice,shefoundavoicethatwasuniquelyherown.
Jenniferoftenemployedtheobjectasapsychologicalsurrogate.Oftenbound
orconfined,Jennifer’ssurrogateobjectsspoketotheangstofentrapmentand
oppression,ormortality.Thedarknessofthisearlyworkwasviscous,crusty,and
palpablypainful(andwouldinformherworkforthenexttwodecades).Likeher
HiddenAmongLeaves
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mother,asshecontinuedtoworkandrefineheraesthetic,sheexploredmaterial
cuesofmortality,creatingpowerfulworksinthespiritofmomentomoris.
Judybegantocreatejewel-encrustedshrinesandsculpturesfromthe
assortmentofobjectsshehadcollectedforyears.Likeanobsessedmagician,she
incorporatedliterallyhundredsofobjectsintoeachpieceofart.Thesedelightful,
embellishedsculpturesembracedherpassionforoutsiderart(e.g.,theWatts
TowersinLosAngelesandtheGrottoinDickeyville,Wisconsin)andherobsession
withcollecting.Theybecamehersignatureonthenationalsceneandsettingthe
stageforherpracticethroughthenextdecade.
Jennifer,too,hadengagedanewbodyofwork.Whileshehadalwayspursued
thepsychologicalself,in2004sheembarkedonaphotographicinquiryofthe
physicalrealm,usingherownbodyashermaterialsubject.Someofherimages
readlikestrangedissectedscientificspecimens,divorcedfromanyparticular
identityorera.Manyareframedinovalorcircularshapedantiquehat-stretching
Mrs.B
frames,mergingthesensibilityofVictorianportraiturewithacontemporary
deconstructionofthe“nude.”Theanimatedfeelofthisworkrecalledthemotion
studiesofearly20th-centuryphotographyandevokedamultiplicityoforganic
forms,suchaswings,illuminatedlandscapes,orclouds.
In2007,asJudywasrecoveringfromaseriousillness,bothmotherand
daughterexperiencedaprofoundshiftinconsciousnessthatresultedinatrans-
formationintheirart.Judyperceivedashiftinherrelationshipwithobjectswhen
shebecameinterestedinaboxofbonesthathadbeeninthestudioforyears.
Theresultantseries,RecliningWomen,provedtransitional.Severalmonths
intoit,JudycreatedaradicallydifferentworkcalledBoneBasket.“Oneday,Igot Tracedetail
outofbedandwentdirectlytothestudioandbeganworkingwithapileofbones,”
shesaid.Fixingtogetherseverallargecowlegbonesandpelvicbones,shebuilta
basket-likestructure.Inthe“basket”sheplacedajawbone,stillintactwithits
teeth,insetwithaseductive,hand-carvedpear.“Ilovedthecolorandflowing
linearrelationshipsofthebones.Iknewthatitwasarealbreakthrough,”said
Judy.BoneBasketopenedthedoortoawholenewwayofworking.
AnewwayofthinkingaboutbonescamefromGallenBenson,herlongtime
friend,artist,anddevotedstudentofqigongandnativehealingpractices.“Gallen
hasbeenatransformativeinfluenceonmyunderstandingofhealingandenlight-
enment.Whenwefocusedonthebones,hehelpedmetoseethemasenergy;
heshowedmewaystoworkwithboththephysicalandspiritualaspectsofthat
energy,”Judysaid.Nowtakinghercuesfromthepaletteandflowingformsofthe
bonesthemselves,Judyhonedinonanewkindofrhythm.Shepreparedaseries
oflargeovalpanels,paintingthem,layerafterlayer,withfleshycreamsandwhites,
lettingthepaintpool,puddle,anddripintolakesofcolor.Insomesheembedded
bitsofmirrortocapturetheviewer’spassingreflectioninthesurfaceofthework.
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Toeachovalsheattachedbones,curvilinearfragmentsofarchitecture,anda
selectnumberofhand-carvedfruitsandflowers,allofwhichshepaintedto
matchthecreamyground.“Thecolorfeltlikeanenergyforce,somethingpulsing
withlife,”saidJudy.Hernewpaletteevokedthefreshnessoflife’sbeginning,a
primordialgroundsproutingwithorganicforms,aplacewhereanythingispossible.
Thecurvesandswellsofeachcompositioncreateanever-endingarabesqueof
form.Thesenewarrangements,whiledismissingthenarrative,continueJudy’s
invitationtotheviewertolingeroverdiscreteobjectsandaestheticdetail.Simul-
BoneBasket taneously,theycallforamovingandflowingvisualexperiencewiththetotal
composition.Byreleasingthenarrative,Judyassertsthesublimeexperienceofthe
presentmoment.Transcendingthelimitsofrepresentation,shepresentsreality
inthefirstdegree.
ForJudy,thisworkisameditationonrelationships.“Tome,theyfeellike
prayers,”shesays.WecannotescapeourownmortalitywhenconsideringJudy’s
sculpture.Aswefollowtheflow,wecantrustthatourfearexistsonlythroughthe
limitsofourcomprehension.
Jennifer,likewise,perceivedashiftinherrelationshiptotheobject.In2008
shebegananewseriesofphotographsinspired,inpart,bythesacreddanceof
theWhirlingDervishes,theSufimysticswho,sinceRumi,spintoreleasetheir
attachmentsandalignwiththedivine.TheDervish’smovingmeditationspinson
asacredaxis,hislongwhitedressandtallhatcreatingtheshapeofacone,pointing
everskyward.Jenniferwasintriguedbytheperfectbalanceofthiscenteredintention
andthesymmetricalformofthespinningbodyanddress.
DeepSleepdetail MeditatingontheDervishandtransitoryorganicentities,suchasclouds,she
setouttoreleasethetrappingsofherearlierpractice.Jenniferenactedaseriesof
intenseperformancesbeforethecamera.Workinginaritualizedwayovermany
months,Jennifercreatedaseriesoflarge-scalegelatinsilverprints.Paintingsections
ofeachprintwithdark,earthyoilpigments,sheenhancedthedepthofthedarkand
theclarityofthelight(remindingus,too,thatthephotographisbutanobject).
Collectively,theseimagesrevealherilluminatedtransformation.Endingthe
spininDeepSleep,thedanceisdone,thefigurehasvanished–andonlyatmos-
phericlightremains.
JudyandJenniferpresenttheelegantandbeautifulArabesque.Theexhibi-
tionoffersmanyteachings:Nothingisfixed.Theenergyofthematerialrealm
neverends.Everythingischanging.
CYNDERANDALL
CyndeRandallisanartist,writer,andgallerydirector
ofSwanSongContemporaryArtsinMaidenRock,Wisconsin.
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JENNIFERONOFRIOFORNES
JUDYONOFRIO
arabesque
AMOTHER-DAUGHTEREXHIBITIONOFSCULPTUREANDPHOTOGRAPHY
JENNIFERONOFRIOFORNES
Asamixed-mediaartist,Igravitatetowardmaterialsthataddressmy
conceptualconcerns.Photography’sabilitytofunctionasamemory
triggerisafacetofthemediumthatIamdrawnto.Welooktophotog-
raphytoclaimourplaceintheworldandourunderstandingofthe
world.Yetthisunderstandingonlyreflectsabiasthatisreflectedinthe
photographtakenandinthememoriesthatwebringtotheimage.The
imageitselfdoesnotnecessarilyembodythiswealthofinformation,it
simplyprovokesthethought,tapsanerve,orperpetuatesanidea.The
fractionofasecondthatisrecordedonfilmnotonlyspeakstothe
specificmomentthattheeventtookplacebuttothepastandtheun-
derstandingthattherecouldbegreatgapsbetweenthetwo.Thesegaps
arewhatIexploreinthestudio.
JenniferOnofrioFornes(American,b.1966)hasexhibitedthroughouttheMidwestern
andSoutheasternUnitedStates.SheearnedaB.F.A.fromtheUniversityofWisconsin,
MadisonandanM.F.A.insculpture,photography,anddrawingfromtheUniversityof
California,Davis.Shetaughtsculpture,installation,photography,anddrawingatthe
UniversityofMinnesota,Morris,andshecurrentlyteachesphotography,3-Ddesign,
andworldhumanitiesatAugustaStateUniversity.Jenniferliveswithherhusband,
KarlFornes,inAiken,SouthCarolina.
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JUDYONOFRIO
Inthelasttwoyears,Ihaveusedmystudiopracticetoprocessmyexpe-
rienceofmortality,renewal,andhealing.Theresultingseries,Storiesof
RecliningWomen,mirroredmyjourneytoregainmyhealthandwasthe
bridgetomycurrentworkintheexhibitionArabesque.
StoriesofRecliningWomenareself-portraits,tobesure,andrepresentmy
gratitudeforthesupportoffamilyandfriends.Theyareconstructed
ofmyrepertoireofsculptedandembellishedformswiththeaddition
ofbone.Gradually,astheseriesevolved,thefemalefiguredisappeared
completely.Thenewworktransformedintoabstractedassemblages
withanemphasisonanimalbones,decorativearchitecturalelements,
andhand-carvedfruitandflowers,allofwhichswiminoceansof
paint.Theprocessofworkingwithanimalbonesmademeincreasingly
awareoftheirorganicbeautyandthelifetheyoncesupported—life
thatisstillvisibleintheircurvesandsurfaces.Throughmyintuitive
studiopractice,Isoughttomovebeyondaspecificnarrativeandreach
towardauniversalexperienceofbeautythatwouldspeakofthetransi-
torynatureoflife.
IntheseriesArabesque,fertilityanderoticismlivesidebysidewith
mortalityandfragility.Itismyhopethatthisworkwillevokenotonly
amemoryoftheGardenofEden,butcelebratetheongoingcycleof
ever-changinglife,fullofexpectationandpromise.Forme,thiswork
isaboutmyhealingprocessandthecelebrationofbeingfullyalive.
JudyOnofrio(American,b.1939),aself-taughtartist,hasexhibitedhersculptures
andmixed-mediaartnationallyandinternationally.Herartworkscanbefoundin
publicandprivatecollectionsallaroundtheworld,fromAustraliatoFinland,and
fromcoasttocoastandallpartsinbetweenintheUnitedStates.Theexcellenceofher
workhasbeen,andcontinuestobe,acknowledgedthroughnumerousgrantsandawards
thatincludetheprestigiousBushArtistFellowship,andtheMcKnightFoundation
DistinguishedArtistAward.Judycurrentlyliveswithherhusband,BurtonOnofrio,
inRochester,Minnesota,whereshealsomaintainsherartiststudio.
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OF THE DISTANT AND FAMILIAR
2010silvergelatinprint,oil
38.75x27.75x3.5inches