6/27
When we were at the Drawing Center, there was an exhibit that spoke to both my interests and my childhood. When my sisters and I were younger, we often read a collection of fairy tales, reading everything from Hans Christen Anderson to Grimm’s Fairy Tales (of course, these ones were later additions to our reading library). Once we arrived, after hearing Melissa’s presentation, we were told to explore. The area where I spent the most of my time was in the Natalie Frank exhibit entitled The Brothers Grimm. In this particular exhibition, Frank created “ visceral paintings that boldly explore the threshold between figuration and abstraction”.
In the museum statement about the piece, this excerpt from above segues into the idea that Frank also strove to illustrate the social mores/ sexualization of females in particular within these fairy tales. Using chalk pastel, arches paper, and gouache, Frank transforms select scenes from the retellings of the Grimm’s masterpieces of literature and evokes a sense of movement isolated in one panel. By combining these mediums with her extremely skilled technique, Frank creates an interesting dialogue between viewer and subject.
-Rebekkah James