Tacoma Arts In Review: Post Pop/Pop Art at the Gallery at Tacoma Community College

Excited to check out Post Pop/Pop Art at the Gallery at Tacoma Community College, I nervously scoped out what I assumed was the entrance, and felt the same bottled anticipation I feel when approaching a classroom door on the first day of class. I would anxiously prepare, hoping the class lives up to my brightest expectations.

The day before, I recalled my favorite pop artists and wondered if the next Banksy might be in the gallery. Expecting a provocative show, full of political and social commentary, I was instead met by a cluttered gallery – objects packed on walls and pedestals with no clear rhyme or reason – culminating in an over-sized fork sculpture in the back. With no direction or greeting I hardly knew where to begin.

It would be wise to studiously read the bulletin board outside the gallery. If not, good luck navigating the show. As I perused the works, I saw no text panels and no information regarding the exhibit or the artists. But don’t be mistaken – thematic subjects do emerge, often similar to those explored by artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Edward Ruschafood: flowers, bright colors and consumerism. Pop art was conceived as a rebellion against traditional styles intended to address consumerism and the media. A pop art show incorporates and subverts the cornerstones of modern culture with aggressive obstinateness, but that attitude was significantly lacking at TCC. Many of the pieces are simply emulations of iconic pop art, with little or no creative rumination. In some ways, the concepts presented made the exhibition seem more like a display of studies and exercises than an art show.

One artist did grab my attention, causing me to rethink my initial critical view of the show. Marsha Glazière, a multi-media artist, created a work entitled Vermeer, an arresting window-framed mosaic of 17th century Vermeer images colliding and intertwining in a graphic cut-and-paste style. Glazière challenged pop art’s now standardized and accepted stylings and created a piece that spoke to the idea of what pop art can address in interpreting Vermeer’s 17th century representations while stirring interest and curiosity in a contemporary audience. Glazière, inspired by pop art concepts, applied her tactics to Western Arts’ old masters tradition, instead of simply regurgitating oversaturated flowers or Campbell’s soup can concepts.

As for the rest of the show, a few more compelling topics are tackled – food consumption, fashion and one piece addressing social politics. The others seemed to indicate promising technical ability, but lacked the kind of insight that compels or challenges the viewer. Glazière stole the whole show and I look forward to seeing her work in the future.

Post Pop/Pop Art includes artists William Mitchell, Catherine Swanson, Bill Colby, Jade Winchester, Bret Lyon, Karen Benveniste, Jeanette Otis, Marsha Glazière, Sasha Erickson, Karin Williams, Wendy Pope, Gail E. Kelly, Frank Dipolitto and Asuka Ludden, among others.

Post Pop/Pop Art is open until May 3.

Review by Erin Bailey

The Gallery Website
Gallery hours: Monday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ABOUT TACOMA ARTS IN REVIEW
Tacoma Arts In Review, a new column on Exit 133, regularly shares timely reviews and stories on art happenings in Tacoma written by local college students and community members. For more information and application details, go here.