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Curatorial Press
"Generation to Generation:
Contemporary Assemblage"
by Patricia
Morris Buckley
North County Times, January 22, 2004.
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North County
Times; January 22, 2004
The metaphors are thick in the art show
"Generation to Generation: Contemporary Assemblage" at the Oceanside
Museum of Art. The title has many layered meanings.
The first meaning has to do with the art technique
involved. Assemblage is a term coined by artist Jean
Dubuffet in 1953 to describe any three -dimensional collage composed of
found objects. So an object that served a use in one
generation serves another in this generation. "By recycling
the material, it becomes something artistic,” said Larry Kline, an
Escondido resident who co-curated the show with his wife, Debby.
"They all use assemblage, but each brings very different feelings to
it." But each of the three represented artists in the
Oceanside exhibit has also incorporated elements that deal with
family. In that theme is a sense of the passing of family
traditions from one generation to the next. "This show takes a
cohesive bent on assemblage," said Debby Kline. "It talks about
the connections that artists make using assemblage."
The featured artists include Poupee Boccaccio, Irma Sophia Poeter and
James Watts. Each offers a distinctly different approach and
style to the medium. For instance, Watts' images are intricate
with bright colors and popular images, such as a three-dimensional
cross that is covered in photos from the 1960s and '70s. "He uses
a lot of printed material and deals with big issues such as love and
God," said Larry Kline. "His work is the antithesis to Poeter's."
Poeter's work is an installation that fills an entire room. A
former fashion design student, she has draped sheer, veiled material
panels between masks that appear to resemble DNA. Hanging from
the ceiling, it has an eerie, haunting emotional core. "It's a
very quiet, subtle piece," said Larry. Perhaps the most
haunting works are from Boccaccio, who has created a room full of
images that reflect her experience growing up with an older,
schizophrenic sister - a bed with a heart covered with shattered glass,
butterfly imagery and a photograph of her sister's Communion.
"This work is how she dealt with her sister's developmental disorders,"
said Debby. "It's a mildly depressing installation because of her
situation, but it's also her way of reconnecting with her sister.
So it's very emotional."
The result is a show that assembles artists of different generations
-and viewpoints - a third metaphor for the title. "There's a lot
to take in with this show," said Larry. Yet, even with that
depth, it's a show that brings its viewers to an understanding of what
the artists want to say - a fourth metaphor. "When people see
this, they'll have a sense of familiarity and the cyclical things in
life. There's a real upbeat feeling because of that."
- Patricia
Morris Buckley
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