- It used to be that when someone mentioned Pierpont Avenue, the general response was "Where's that?" But no more. Two popular restaurants, three art galleries and Artspace offices and studios have changed all that. They've put the street on the map.
During the past two weeks, new shows opened at all three galleries. Dolores Chase Gallery is featuring works by 10 young, promising Utah artists (See last Sunday's visual arts story.)On Sept. 8, the Pierpont Gallery opened with "Urban Flight," a one-man show by Edwin Oberbeck. And the Courtyard Gallery introduced a group show, but with special emphasis on night photography by Rodger Newbold.
Oberbeck's urban images are delightful. They are an interesting mixture of childhood images and present-day observation, a mixture of realism and fantasy.
"I spent perhaps too many hours watching old horror movies and Japanese science movies on television," he confesses. "I especially enjoyed seeing those giant insects and prehistoric critters terrorizing Tokyo."
His works are filled with giant creatures, but the viewer's reaction is one of delight - not terror.
The artist has painted 31 works for this show. More than two-thirds of them have been executed in watercolor. And that's great! Because this transparent medium is well-suited for his imagery. The mood is much more spontaneous and whimsical when recorded in this aqueous medium.
His oil paintings are larger than his watercolors, but his colors are generally flat and lifeless. For some reason, warm colors seem to elude his oils - resulting in mysterious, ominous moods. "Stargazer" is a notable exception.
Some of my favorite paintings in the show are "Magic Night," "Yellow Fish Vase," "Yellow Cat (Homage to Klee)" "Room Without a View" and "The Artist's Bedroom."
Oberbeck received a BFA in 1976 from BYU and his MFA from the University of Utah in 1981. Since that time, he has participated in a number of one-man and group shows. His works can be seen in a number of public buildings and private collections.
A walk downstairs to the Courtyard Gallery will introduce the viewer to some outstanding works by gallery craftspeople, printmakers and photographers. One of those photographers is Rodger Newbold, whose "Beacons of the Night" series hang along the west wall.
As he pursued this special series, Newbold was seeking unusual illumination.
"I have attempted to reveal my perspective to allow for an extended appreciation of the light that discloses form, shape and subject to the camera."
His night shots of fast-food places, theaters and other buildings are filled with fun colors and shapes. But his photographs of amusement parks are even more exciting.
Newbold sets his camera on time exposure to record the amusement park rides as they whirl around, resulting in some outstanding abstract photography rich in repetition and design.
He admits he was charged with a certain excitement when dealing with this project.
"When most put their cameras away, I came alive. An unseen tension filled the air as an exposure extended into minutes."
Newbold said that the bulk of these photographs were made using a 4-by-5-inch camera format.
"The overwhelming versatility of such a camera made it a perfect choice for architectural subjects." he said.
These exhibits will continue through Oct. 13 at the Pierpont Gallery (159 Pierpont Ave., 363-4141) and the Courtyard Gallery (153 Pierpont Ave., 363-5151). Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.