JFK, Kurt Cobain and ramen noodles: 'Time' art show at Silo examines history, pop culture

CANTON − Andrew Dudek was inspired to paint an image of the iconic Muhammad Ali based on a photograph of the fighter posing under water.

Creating the art piece for Friday's "Time Show" at Silo Arts Studio, Dudek was mesmerized by Ali's contrasting boxing style of fierceness and finesse. A beautiful man who moved gracefully while delivering stinging punches.

Working in his home basement studio using water mixable oil paint, Dudek's brush reflected his subject with both muted colors and aggression.

"I did it quickly," the software engineer said. "It was a quicker painting, and I did it with music (playing). It's kind of a violent painting. I'm using my hands. I'm throwing paint at it; it's heavily textured.

"It's a blend of everything," said Dudek, a resident artist at Patina Arts Centre in downtown Canton. "It's a little abstract, (but) I want to have some realism in it − I want it to be more messy, more chaotic."

Dudek's piece is among those being featured in "The Time Show," an exhibition showcasing specific moments, often historic and iconic, as interpreted by artists, either literally or loosely.

The show will be 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at Silo, 431 Fourth St. NW, in conjunction with First Friday activities in downtown Canton. Local artist Kat Francis, visual arts director and curator at Silo, is overseeing the one-day show.

Appointments also can be made to see the exhibit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. Viewings can be scheduled by messaging Silo Arts Studio at https://www.facebook.com/SiloArtsStudio.

Subjects include the famous and memorable − President John F. Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, Kurt Cobain, Pete Townshend, John the Baptist, Joan of Arc, the Vietnam War and more. Other topics are the inventor of ramen noodles and the extinction of the great auk flightless bird.

"My hopes are people will walk into the gallery and spark up conversations from piece to piece," Francis said. "Some pieces might be obvious, while others are not. Some are humorous and goofy, but others are dark and grim."

Diverse artwork: From ramen noodles to JFK's assassination

Mediums also include sculptures, puppets and drawings, Francis said.

Her own art pieces will include a pull-string, wooden doll of Pete Townshend smashing his guitar.

Dudek said he's excited about the exhibition.

"There's going to be so many different flavors to this show, but it's still tied to a theme," the 39-year-old Alliance native said.

Pandemic-inspired art

Michele Waalkes, an award-winning artist, said she enjoys contributing to group shows with a theme.

"It challenges me to consider concepts that I might not otherwise engage with in my art," the Canton resident said. "I am honored to be included in this exhibit with such an amazing lineup of artists, and I can't wait to see what time periods in history each of them has interpreted."

Made of copper and fabric, Waalkes art piece was inspired by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

"I am actually thankful for my pandemic pod," explained Waalkes, who has a bachelor of arts degree from Malone University with an emphasis in fiber arts. "We were a group of four. Since we could not travel, we watched movies featuring different countries and shared travelogue dinners, where we would make different ethnic foods and eat them together. It prompted creativity, and I hope to capture that in the 'Pods' piece."

'I draw from my head.'

"Time" will showcase both established local artists and newer ones.

The roster also includes Grant Bowen, Tim Eakin, Darick Frady, Shaun Bradley Higgins, Dan Kane, Will Keomany, Jesse McMahon, Sam Lilenfield, Erin Mulligan, Ashley Pierce, Alexa Polinori, Avery Polinori, Kayla Suzanne, Alaska Thompson, David Sherrill, Kasey Wassam and Micheal Weirich.

Keomany, 41, said he's new to the Canton art scene.

"It sounds like a simple idea, a moment in time," he said. "But I usually ... just make up characters. I draw from my mind."

The Louisville resident said his recent artwork has been influenced by his reading of MAD Magazine and "old horror comics."

"I hope nobody's offended by John the Baptist holding his head," he said. Motivating the piece was "just the enjoyment of the art for the moment (and) seeing a little personality."

The rendering of John the Baptist "was just a quick little 20-minute scribble," said Keomany, a Southern California native.

A drawing of Joan of Art was his second submission for the "Time" exhibition. He described that work as being "calculated and a little more tight."

Working as a job coach who trains and supports people with disabilities, Keomany is also a weekend bartender at Milestone in downtown Canton.

There he sometimes draws ink caricatures of customers.

"I want it to be what it's been to me in the moments of life," Keomany said of art. "Just a simple enhancement to enjoy perhaps the dull moments of life, or to entertain people in slow moments of bartending − that is when I purely enjoy art."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton art show 'Time' features JFK, Kurt Cobain, Muhammad Ali, ramen