Life at sea has always
been adventurous and lucrative, from the early wooden rafts of ancient
Assyrians to the Phoenician traders of 1200 BC to the fully rigged galleons of
the 14th century. Modern day oil tankers and container ships serve as the
subject matter for Jeff Jennings's New Work exhibit at d. m. allison gallery,
though the artist has captured these behemoths in their last moments of glory.
 |
Photo courtesy of d. m. allison gallery
"Vittoria" by Jeff Jennings from "New Work" exhibit
at d. m. allison gallery
|
These magnificent ships,
which serve for 25-30 years delivering international cargo, eventually become
uninsurable and are sold for salvage. Most ships are recycled in Bangladesh,
India and China, where the safety rules are less stringent and the labor more
affordable.
Having become interested
in the subject matter, and finding that the port authorities in the United
States prohibit photography, Jennings traveled to Bangladesh to photograph the
decommissioned ships.
In three of his works
Jennings has drawn in graphite longitudinal and latitudinal lines, then scribed
the circle of a compass, and overlain these cartographic reference points with
accurate representations of these ships, using acrylic on paper and wood. The
Muhammad Shah, with the tip of its stern removed, reflects hauntingly in the
water alongside a ghostly sketch of a now-defunct ship. The cross-section of
Joan of Arc reveals her many interior levels; the sole remaining life raft
seems futile in view of the ship's fate. Marco Polo, with segments of the boat
literally ripped away, is memorialized with Jennings's evocative words: labor,
blood, life, death ....
Similar in style but
formed into 40-inch rounds are the Sabina #2, Louisa #2 and Thomas Wheeler #3;
the latter is dissected with half its body resting lifeless on the water's
edge. In defiance of the ship-breakers' assault, the Sabina #2 manages to stand
majestic, tall and proud.
The skies are always
painted differently in each of Jennings's pieces, and change their tone
depending on the light. The over-sized Vittoria portrays the sky as a yellow
cyclonic wave, a foreshadowing of the ultimate demise for this already
cavernous and partially dismantled vessel.
The monochromatic The
Elements #2, with its splotchy atmosphere of graphite and gouache, stands
defenseless in her solitude. For this last moment, the ship is still intact and
whole, but the fading propeller tells the story of the coming storm.
 |
Photo courtesy of d. m. allison gallery
"The Elements #2" by Jeff Jennings from "New Work"
exhibit at d. m. allison gallery
|
Though produced during
an earlier period, 2009's Chittagong #10 and Chittagong #6 - whimsical
imaginary monotypes rendered with an abstract crosshatch pattern - are
appealing in their simplicity.
Prior to this series
Jennings worked primarily in sculpture, and he does offer two sculptural pieces
in this exhibit. His Segmented Arc, with its bend of seven chambers,
reintroduces his crosshatch pattern in its foot-like base. It pairs well with
the rondels, echoing their curves with elegance and grace. On display in the
garden is Karnaphuli Freighter, an upturned boat made of wood, acrylic, lead
and concrete; the payoff is in walking around to view its Prismacolored
interior.
Source: Houston press. 31
March 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment