The Cohen Gallery featured multiple exhibits concerning
depictions of vulnerability from three artists, Lauren
Gallaspy, Sara Parent-Ramos and Hollis Hammond. They
were able to immortalize themes concerning weakness from
within visual mediums including sculpture, ceramics and
charcoal. These are fragile substances, and it is the exposed
nature of these works of art that really drives home the
concept of vulnerability.
Hollis created multiple charcoal drawings of ruined cityscapes. Her composition, 'Smoke Rising' is a very large work
of art that shows the post-apocalyptic ruins of a flood. The
manner in which the scene is constructed leaves the
impression that the rubble has become a beach, with the
smoke acting as the crashing waves in the background. By
using charcoal in this piece, lines carry plenty of energy with
them. As well, this is a conduit through which she can create
interesting shifts of value. The smoke rising from the
background adds movement in the work, as the viewer is led
to travel across the image. In order to ensure the entire scene
works as a coherent whole, rubble has been arranged with
the goal of creating harmony, and as such nothing seems out
of place.
Another one of her works, 'Cascade', pushes the concept of a
water analogy even further. Junk and rubble flow downward
to show how unimportant these supposably valuable objects
truly are in the face of disaster. These works of art detail how
vulnerable our creations are in the event of a disaster. The
field of rubble appears as a pattern of material goods, while
the circular shapes of the tires create motion. Furthermore,
the vertical pattern of garbage comes with a striking usage of
space to either side of it.
Similarly, her composition 'In Ruins' displays wires and
garbage flowing over the ruins of a city. Her use of fine detail
is striking to say the least, and portrays the concept of
vulnerability further than any of her other creations due to
the clear display of destruction. While her other works
reference floods and disaster, this one goes beyond them to
leave an unquestionable understanding of what is going on.
All of these works are void of color, which is suitable for the
dismal outlook they carry.
Hollis Hammond's work in the 'Windows of Vulnerability'
gallery chronicles both the lack of value within material
objects during a disaster, as well as the way humans perceive
these things when the world around them is relatively stable.
When all is in order, common items are viewed as being far
more important than they objectively are. We give them our
unwavering attention, our time, our money, and we
sometimes even name them, yet from the vantage point
provided by Hollis Hammond's art, we can clearly see
their disposable disposition.
Hollis Hammond, 'Smoke Rising', 2012. Charcoal and Acrylic
on Paper. Fosdick-Nelson Gallery.
Hollis Hammond, 'Cascade', 2014. Charcoal and Acrylic on
Paper. Fosdick-Nelson Gallery.
Hollis Hammond, 'In Ruins', 2012. Charcoal on Paper.
Fosdick-Nelson Gallery.