Exhibition Review #2 at the ICA

Upon visiting the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia there were two artists out of four that stood out. The first was a showcased in the show entitled R. Crumb’s Underground. Within this artist based exhibition, the life long work of Robert Crumb was placed on display for the audience of viewers. This work was composed of mainly pen and ink comic strip or other related work, but also included some sculptural pieces. All of these works held one strong common ground, that they were created by the extremely innovative and edgy mind of R. Crumb. Even upon entering the show the viewer is confronted with a sign that stated the material within the gallery was intended for mature audiences only and this was just a taste of what the viewer was yet to see. Spanned between two rooms within the gallery the work of R. Crumb filled up much of the wall space as well as many glass cases and a good amount of floor room. Each piece stood as an individual statement on sexuality, as well as the underground comic industry and the environment that surrounded it. Viewers are taken aback by some of the overtly sexual content that verges on that of a pornographic nature. These images and the content of each piece set a tone for the works of R. Crumb. They create a playful and humorous depiction of the world and its issues as seen through what very closely resemble the eyes of a pubescent boy. Although the mindset seems to be stuck in the issues of sexuality it also brings about messages on many other topics including racism and feminism. Not only do these intellectual subjects stray from some of the seemingly adolescent ideals, but so does the level of craftsmanship. Each image is created with an excruciating quality of work and displays the artist mastery of technique and content.R. Crumb is someone who is now know as the king of underground comics and widely thought of as a genius in the art world. One piece that suggests this talent and insight was a sculpture of a large cartoon-like female figure. The figure is poised in a fairly suggestive gesture. On the sculpture there are visible details of female genitalia that are suggested through the sculpture’s painted clothing. This piece demonstrates not only the many ideas that are captured in the work of R. Crumb, but also the versatility of the artist’s hand. Although Crumb works mainly with comic strip layouts and pen and ink drawings, he broke from this structure when moving to three-dimensional work. Moving away from the original format of his work while still holding the ideals and concepts of his earlier work Crumb breaks out of a static mold and creates a body of work that show a great amount of breath. This idea of movement into the world of dimensionality can also be observed in the use of large images that are posted throughout the exhibition that break from the original picture plains.
The next artist that stood out in the Institute of Contemporary Art’s exhibitions was Kate Gilmore, an artist whose works were primarily video footage of performance pieces. These videos are based on the idea of constructing spaces and events for Gilmore to struggle and fight her way out of. Building tunnels that she squeezes through and boxes that she kicks and pushes her way out of, Gilmore eventually breaks out of the structures. She does all this while dressed in formal outfits donning make-up and heels. With pieces like Every Girl Likes Pink, Gilmore shows the idea of building captive walls around one’s self and then trying to break out of their containing structures. This thought reflects the idea of building a persona that others may expect or impose on you and similarly trying to break down these walls to experience the world of views that sits just outside the tiny space we have constructed. Gilmore’s work also comments on the oppression of women by society and the struggle of women in the attempt to break out of these restrictions while being bogged down by the stereotypes and constructs that are formed around female image. Both these views speak strongly in her physical struggle that is seen in her video instillations and can be paired greatly with the pieces of R. Crumb, which also speak loudly on the topics of the female images and how society views female figures. Both artists, in their own respects, make loud statements on these culture-based topics and create work that confronts viewers about these different ideas.