Poking The Eye Of The Beholder

Is art, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder? Philosophers and critics alike have debated the subjective and objective standards of the two for ages, but over at Gallery 210, three artists have joined forces to let their art make their arguments with Exposure 17: Notions of the Grotesque. This exhibition strives to make the appalling appealing. Artist Heather O'Shaughnessy looks to seventeenth-century Italian anatomical artisans for inspiration when forming her offbeat beeswax sculptures, while printmaker Travis Lawrence is motivated by his lust for fifteenth-century illuminated manuscripts and Jungian psychology. The inspiration for Edo Rosenblith's explosive, eccentric illustrations seems a bit more contemporary, sharing DNA with the work of early animation maverick Ub Iwerks and underground cartoonist Kim Deitch. Notions of the Grotesque is on display from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (August 23 through October 11) at Gallery 210 on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus (1 University Boulevard and Natural Bridge Road; 314-516-5976 or www.gallery210.umsl.edu). Admission is free.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: Aug. 26. Continues through Oct. 11, 2014