Review: With 'Desolation Row,' Marcus Kenney asks us to do better out of dark times
This is a review of the latest Laney Contemporary exhibition by Savannah artist Marcus Kenney, submitted by Debora Oden.
Marcus Kenney’s latest exhibition "Desolation Row" at Laney Contemporary is the zenith of his observations of culture and our compromised humanity. It is a stinging satire on the polarization and hypocrisy of the world we live in. It is the result of decades of observing with the lens of compassion and heartbreak.
"Desolation Row," nods to the tradition of social realism, first popular in the 1920’s. Though the work is ultimately hopeful like that of the early social realists, the protagonists who live in Desolation Row are not heroic workers. The masses have been caught at their most primitive, at raw moments at war with each-other. Players in this ridiculous spectacle are both victim and agitator. Instead of fighting greed, power and hypocrisy we fight each-other and ourselves.
Kenney began this career as a photographer, seeking compositions and images that expressed a deeper reality with beauty and subtlety. His influences of music and collections of re-claimed materials led him to explore large-scale collages. His third major focus was with large-scale sculptures born of found objects with mundane rejected materials (think fishing nets, ropes and paddles) which were combined with explosive neon tubing in a complex mix of the discarded and the sex appeal of the shiny and new.
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"Desolation Row" has everything these methods of working embodied and more. It is a riot of color, has secrets at the frame of each epic painting, embodies the horror of the discarded and the ecstasy of power.
The paintings are sumptuous, glorious. The color combinations are a delight. Bright pink, orange, green, yellow and red fill the canvases. Kenney is masterful with his use of pattern and intense colors (there are several outfits to die for). He is juggling a lot of content while giving us the gift of spectacular painting to soften the blow of serious questions. These are paintings you will want to stand in front of looking at every color combination, pattern and brush mark with wonder.
In each of the large-scale lawless paintings in the lower gallery there is a formal Byzantine structure to the setting. Pink columns and lapis blue floor tiles belay the insanity as an insurgent crowd runs to their demise. History plays an important role in this body of work. It is as if Kenney is asking us to evaluate how we have come to live here, in "Desolation Row."
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Everyone has a sense of shell-shocked doom in these paintings and throughout the work the sneakiness of power is present. There is always something lurking in the corner waiting, a cheerful devil, an inconspicuous person manipulating the pack. The characters are clowns, kings, pipers and zombies.
In "yesterday’s letter," we see a group pacifying themselves with lollipops as they surround a horrified wounded woman with an octopus-shaped-sucking mouth. The observers gawk and one (whom I believe to be the artist) gazes directly towards the viewer as if to ask, “What do you think about this?”, causing us to suspend our disbelief and to think!
In "wrong place my friend," the circus is not only in town, but it is the town. Cruel children and sailors looking for a good time foreshadow the future-self of the young baby, still innocent, at the heart of the composition.
The three figures in the insurance salesman are the faces of power. The men are cut off at the ankles. Have they lost their grounding or are they standing in a pool of blood? This is up to you, the viewer, to make that decision. That is the case with the whole of this body of work, it is up to you to decide how to read each piece.
The work in the main gallery upstairs has a much softer feel. It is the domestic life of the citizens of "Desolation Row." Even the blind commissioner has feelings. "lady and i" is composed like a snapshot. The painting zooms in on pock-marked lovers sharing a blanket by the sea, his foot and her outstretched hand are cropped. We see middle space with a little pink house on the edge of the painting and deep space with the suggestion of imperialism as a small clipper-ship sails by in the distance.
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With "cassanova" we see the death of civility, ophelia is very down on her luck, and "cain and abel" is a birthday party about to go very wrong.
"desolation row 2" is a schoolroom without joy, while "desolation row 1" is an empty schoolroom. Only presidents past and present watch over the vacant room. These paintings profoundly demonstrate the despair felt during the COVID-19 outbreak. This classroom is a metaphor for loss and struggle that affected the world.
Laney Contemporary is a stunning fine-art venue and Kenney makes great use of the space. The conclusion of the exhibition is a video presentation in the mirrored room. This is a potent piece. As we listen to Bob Dylan’s "Desolation Row," we see projections of the paintings on a humble building, presumably one of the homes in "Desolation Row." The mirrors reflect details of the projected paintings, the building and us. The viewer is an active participant in this work and the effect is powerful.
"Desolation Row" shows us at our most primal self. By acknowledging our darkest behaviors and our darkest reactions to others, it asks us to be better. This work is not about division, it is about coming together and taking responsibility for our history and our commonality.
Marcus Kenney’s "Desolation Row" is truly a brilliant, beautiful exhibition of color, composition and heartfelt humanity.
Desolation Row is open to the public now through June 10.
The opening reception for “Desolation Row,” featuring special guests and video installations on the lawn is on Friday from 7-10 pm. Presentations include video installations by Atlanta artists George Long and Mike Stasny, John Collette, Kevin Kirkwood, Michael Mikulec, Jameid Ferrin as well as a DJ set by Extremely Michael and Sloppy George. Charles Schwab of Offal Labs and Dumpster Edition will be live-printing unique Marcus Kenney designed t-shirts, which will be available for purchase. There will also be Tarot readings by Dame Darcy and acoustic guitar by Stewart Marshall. Nom Nom Poké food truck will be on premises.
Laney Contemporary is located at 1810 Mills B. Lane Blvd. 31405. The gallery hours are Tuesday - Friday, 11-5 pm Saturday, 11-2 pm and by appointment. Contact Laney Contemporary at (912) 438-4442 or email info@laneycontemporary.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA art gallery: Desolation Row at Laney Contemporary
