Surrealist art on display at Bonifas in Escanaba
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ESCANABA -- An unusual experience awaits visitors to the Bonifas Arts Center for the next few weeks.
The current display in the Powers Gallery is "Bending Reality: A Journey through Surrealism."
Surrealism -- which in visual art tends to be characterized by images that are dreamlike, uncanny, illogical and bizarre -- was popularized by artists such as Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Max Ernst and Joan Miro. As the Bonifas' current exhibit shows, a number of current local artists have also honed the craft.
On the ground floor, the work of Brian Burroughs of Escanaba dominates much of the space. His vivid colors and hard lines add a modern flavor to paintings that exemplify surrealism with warping and illogical pairings.
Another handful of treasured works in "Bending Reality" were produced by Sherman Henry "Hank" Linton, a Chicago-area painter who died in 1989 but was prolific in surreal commercial art in the 1970s.
Others of note in the exhibit are Shanna Koltz of De Pere, Wis.; Steve Bowies of Green Bay, Wis.; and Escanaba ninth-grader Sophie Seder, whose watercolor hangs alongside an etching by the surrealist master himself: Salvador Dali.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor of the Powers Gallery, a viewer is presented with the opportunity to journey through a collection called "Vessels." Part of "Bending Reality," the upper level features an entire experience designed by Escanaba artist William Oman.
"Vessels" is meant to be seen in near-dark. The proper way to take it in is with the lights off, while the observer carries a flashlight to illuminate only a small area at a time.
"When you walk through the exhibit space with just the flashlight, it symbolizes what one person is able to take in," said Kate Oman, gallery director and William's daughter. "Life is all around us, and all this stuff's happening, but we only can see what we can see through the lens of our 'flashlight,' basically, and how those all interact."
Dozens of large, mostly abstract creations fill the upper floor of the gallery, which has been outfitted with temporary walls to create a sort of passage. The artworks, which utilize a variety of mediums, were made over a span of about 40 years. The pieces are for sale; some for a set price, other by donation.
"My dad wanted to make art accessible for all, because there's a lot of people that just can't afford art," Oman said.
Usually, art sold at the Bonifas earns the artist 65% and the center 35%. But William is donating a bit more -- he'll take home 50% of the earnings from purchased paintings and leave half for the Bonifas.
In another section of the Bonifas Arts Center is a solo show from an artist who's been a recurring presence at the destination for several years.
The works of metal artist Austin Ash, who earned the solo exhibit when his piece "Need a Hand" won the Bonifas Membership Show in June, will also remain on display at the Bonifas until Nov. 5.
Though technically not done in conjunction with the exhibits, a poetry slam at the arts center on Nov. 5 will provide people one last time to see the surrealism exhibit and Ash's.
Before entering "Bending Reality," gallery visitors are warned that some content within might not be appropriate for everyone. Though not terribly graphic, some nudity does feature in a Linton painting. It's also possible some viewers might be slightly disturbed or a bit put off by the odd, morphing, unreal forms that surrealism inherently carries.
"I understand this type of art is not for everyone, but it is definitely for me," Burroughs wrote in his artist statement. "Creating this kind of imagery has been very cathartic. I plan on continuing my journey as a surrealist until I run out of ideas to mutate."
Located at 700 First Ave. S. in Escanaba, the Bonifas Arts Center is a no-cost destination -- unless someone wishes to make a purchase. The rotating galleries are provided for free for the public to view between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
The Bonifas Arts Center, a nonprofit, is sponsored in part by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council, National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Escanaba, the Besse Foundation and a number of private donors, class participants, gallery-viewers and more.