Sometimes it's good to take a break and spend some time with idyllic daydreams. It can be pleasant to step away from reality and target cherished, image-based memories.
Horses, dream property estates and the form of the feminine body are some oft-romanticized images committed to memory.
While very different from one another, these subjects can all be viewed as ways to obtain satisfaction through fantasizing about luxuries, beauty or pleasure.
Introduced last weekend by Robert Rosenblum, curator of New York City's Guggenheim Museum, a new exhibit of Patricia Cronin's artwork at the Center for the Arts is brave and surprising. Any artwork that requires a warning sign at the entrance is likely to be risqu?(c).
Rosenblum compares Cronin's artwork to the taboo works of many of her predecessors like Pablo Picasso and Gustave Courbet, praises her and educates the audience on her life and work.
"(Her work) began in the category of: not quite acceptable," Rosenblum said of Cronin's work, which is likely to stir controversy.
"It is a landmark in the history of art...(and) sex," said Rosenblum.
Much of what was described by Rosenblum deals with the outward portrayal of nude female bodies touching one another. While many in the untitled but numbered collection are extremely sexual, the message conveyed by Cronin's art is one of acceptance, equality and being comfortable with one's preference.
Certainly erotic, Cronin's collection of watercolor nudes is an intriguing component of the exhibit. The series, which does not include faces, focuses mainly on what Rosenblum calls, "absolute close-ups of sexual activity" between the women.
"Untitled #37" features a woman wearing a black bra who is in the process of undressing her female partner from the waste down. The bra contrasts with their pastel bodies, and creates a mysterious allure.
"Memorial to a Marriage (2004)," is Cronin's homage to and representation of devotion to her partner Deborah. The sculpture of the lovers' embrace that lies in Woodlawn Cemetery is portrayed within the exhibit by a large wall-sized piece of curable ink on twill.
"It's such a beautiful piece, it's just awesome," says Rachel Parrino, a junior psychology major. "It's great to see."
Attractive, well groomed horses are another focus of Cronin's talent; covering part of two walls devoted to the 35 pieces of "Pony Tales (1996)" displayed like portraits of family members. Hung in rectangular and oval walnut frames against floral wallpaper, the horses are given an air of importance, love and respect.
"She has a really original vision...we never thought of horses that way," said sophomore art history major Erica Pastore.
Another acknowledgement of horses is in "Tack Room (1998-9)," which is built so that one can literally walk into the small room that is filled with horse paraphernalia, riding gear and collectibles.
The most breathtaking piece within the exhibit is an oil painting on linen entitled "Cookie and Napoleon (1997)." It shows two horses with their heads posed together intimately. Their coats and hair are stunning, blended with rich colors against a lush, green background.
A smaller and less obtrusive set of paintings features the equivalent of a combination real estate guidebook and travel brochure for island getaways and picturesque mountain homes. One particularly pleasant image is that of a tropical paradise-like island entitled "2,300,000: Emerald Isle of Monkey Key (2001)."
"The Domain of Perfect Affection (1999)," for which the exhibit is titled, is a group of eight bronze horses atop a pine table. The animal miniatures are shown grazing.
At first glance, the exhibit is an odd mix of theme-oriented artwork, but a closer look shows that Cronin's artwork is based on all that she deems worthy.
There is an overall theme of one's need for fantasy, and to enjoy one's personal desires:
"Amazing, path-breaking works of art," said Rosenblum, giving high praise to the artist and her messages.
Cronin's exhibit is currently on display at the UB Art Gallery at the Center for the Arts through May 22.
