Ready for some fun? Surrealist artists Mark Behme and Judy Goodkind bring their wit to Neptune this month with work in carved wood and collages in paint and paper.
Mark Behme returns after his "Exquisite Corpse" exhibit at Neptune in April 2007, with new carved wood sculptures deftly detailed and layered with bright enamel paint. The result is very carnival like; one could even mistake some of these pieces as dense plastic moldings, but like Dentzel carousel animals a deeper inspection reveals the handmade skill behind each wood carved allegory. In addition to a series of table top sculptures, Behme has realized a collection of profound hand carved electric guitars. "Nut Job" and "Dicey Clown" are immaculately carved and painted and both share the same carnie like allure, their fixated grins are menacing and naughty, their execution is exquisite.
Other work is significant for a puzzle like construction which Behme has engaged in many times before. Ready for his audience to discover more than immediately meets the eye, Behme cleverly hides some fascinating details in his work. In "The Oracle" he presents a large crow's head, its tiny etched feathers are stained an iridescent black. The head divides by splitting the crow's beak, the inner image is revealed and we see two hands now separated from a prayer position, tiny wooden sleeping babies fill the remaining portion of the carved cavity and we feel as though we have come across actual icons from a medieval fairy tale.
Judy Goodkind creates fantastic tableaus using paint and paper images in her precise, colorful collages. Her compositions move from the comfort of a cozy living room to the front yard of a house or church, a bedroom or a pastoral landscape, and all include familiar objects, people and animals. But it is the scale and arrangement of these components that are the most significant devices in these otherwise normal domestic scenes. Goodkind exaggerates her composition to reveal the comic/tragic situations of interpersonal relationships. In "The Baby was Beginning to Attract Attention" Goodkind makes the baby appear as a giant next to her parents, visualizing a psychological hierarchy. In "Tub Night" everyone seems to be taking a bath in different ways, their privacy intact although they are occupying the same room. A time to refresh is the pastime in this humorous home spa, no matter who is watching. We are pleased to present Judy Goodkind's work in her first exhibit at Neptune.
Mark Behme - Judy Goodkind
March 4 - 28, 2009
Reception for the artists: Friday, March 6th, 7 PM
Open for the Bethesda Art Walk: Friday, March 13th, 6-9 PM
Artist's Talk: Saturday, March 21st, 2 PM
To view work from the exhibit click on ARTISTS. See Mark Behme and Judy Goodkind.