Situated in a small building right next to Studio Arena Theatre is the downtown location of the Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. It may be the most obscure location of the "Beyond/In Western New York" art exhibit.
The exhibit opened on April 16 at Hallwalls, and can be seen there until May 31. It consists mostly of visual art - the kind that is made for only the true believers in objects as art. For example, a piece by Carlo Cesta titled "Insulated Shed" consists of a metal garage door and acrylic caulking. That was only one of his two pieces that involved those same objects.
Cesta also had a piece that was simply the word "ol?(c)" in big gray letters on a white poster board. This is another example of stretching conventional ideas of art.
Allen C. Topolski does things just a little bit differently. He puts together pieces of old appliances and other "found objects" in a way that makes them seem familiar to the viewer. It is almost impossible to describe his pieces of arts with words, and with titles like "Sammy's Basement" and "As I Recall It," the artist really gives no clue as to what his found objects are supposed to be.
The third artist whose work is display is Alfonso Volo, whose pieces are both confusing and a bit humorous. For example, one of his pieces is comprised of two small mouse figurines, one dressed as a starlet and the other dressed as a doctor. The title of the work is "Doctor, I Just Can't Stand The Limelight Anymore." Another piece of art was called "Vestigial Fur With Ascending Fake Eyes," and consisted of an oval-shaped wooden plaque with fake fur and fake eyes glued to it.
While all three artists used found objects to create interesting pieces of art, it was the work of Volo that was most accessible. Topolski and Cesta, while intriguing, also seemed more random and weird for the sake of weird. Volo's work seemed also less personal than the other two artists, whose art pieces seemed to reflect something that could only be understood by the artist who created it.
All of the works seemed to share the same general theme, and that is one of confusion and nostalgia. Especially the pieces of Volo and Topolski, the objects used, such as figurines or pieces of familiar yet unidentifiable appliances evoke a feeling of general amnesia for the past.
The atmosphere of the Arts Center was very amusing, though. It's a place that one might very easily walk by and not notice, except for the display in the front window of some work of art. The door is open, and there is no entry fee. It is perfect for killing some time on a warm evening during a walk downtown.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
