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Barbara Rizza Mellin, Freewheelin’,
Wiley Akers, The Dream of the Planet,
and Owens Daniels, American Gothic HB2

Exhibition dates: March 1 – 28, 2020
Gallery Hop: Friday, March 6, 7 - 10 pm
Reception: During Gallery Hop

Barbara Rizza Mellin brings her Freewheelin’ series to Winston Salem. 

Freewheeling verb [ no obj.] “to ride a bicycle with the pedals at rest, especially downhill - (usu. as adj. freewheeling) act without concern for rules, conventions, or the consequences of one’s actions. 

  Mellin explains, “Each work of art in this series is a collage of 4” x 4” photographic images of a 4” x 4” hand-pressed linoleum block print. The pattern of the original print is a quarter-circle segment of a bicycle wheel. It is something known to most viewers, yet seems, in this fragmented form, to take on a life of its own. The basic shape becomes somewhat lost, as the parts succumb to the whole. Together, the works explore a few simple concepts of pattern and variation, possibilities, and the ‘power of one’. The resulting collages may be symmetrical or truly “freewheeling.” Sometimes a completed wheel forms the center; other times the wheel/spoke reference is almost lost entirely.

  “I become intrigued with the idea that one, very simple, small pattern could offer endless possibilities of design,” says Mellin, “much like a simple piece of material in a quilt.”

  This series is particularly relevant for the Triad since cycling has become a significant part of the region. Headquarters for the U.S. National Cycling Center opened in Winston Salem in 2017. Cycling events are held throughout the Triad, including the Winston Salem Cycling Classic, one of the country’s most prestigious professional cycling events.

Mellin is an award-winning author and artist, who relocated to Winston Salem from New England. Her art has been displayed in juried exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to being a member of Artworks Gallery, she has been a member of several professional organizations, including Printmakers of N.C., Oil Painters of American, Woman Painters of the SouthEast, The International Mezzotint Society, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Muddy River Art Association and AFAS. 

 

Wiley Akers’ exhibition, The Dream of the Planet, raises questions in the viewers’ mind about how we have been domesticated through beliefs that come from the social-cultural conditioning. From birth, the family impresses on the child a name, what the family believes, and what is acceptable and unacceptable. The educational system further influences the child; the adolescent seeks to be accepted by the community by internalizing or rejecting its values. There is a role to play after getting a job. At home, many switch on the news and may attend social gatherings where conversations could include the media, the economy, sports or failures, and successes of their peers. Collective goals could be to make as much money as possible - to have nice clothes, fancy car, comfortable home, attractive partner, and on and on, without one thought of why, what, or how of their personal existence. Akers does this by using unrelated photographic images from internet sources and a projector to integrate two or more images. He uses stencils, spray paint with paint and brushes.

  Akers work is intended to express an idea or emotion about how he feels about the world around him. He is a social critic. The work tends to be autobiographical in nature. 

  Akers has exhibited at ASU, WCU, UNCG, Delurk Gallery, Artworks Gallery.

He taught art at the high and middle school levels and received a BFA in painting and Masters in Education from UNC Greensboro.

 

Owens Daniels, America Gothic HB2, uses photography as a means to communicate and express an interpretation of the world around him. Daniels work is a voice freely speaking to the issues of the day: their reflections and impact, as well as their influences on our culture and communities. His camera is to open to unexplored spaces between the subject matter and artist, a world of interesting people, relationships, opportunities, experiences, and life’s little stories that the viewer, subjects shared. 

  Daniels’ choice of subject matter (people) comes from a place of intuition and is fueled by an impetuous desire to partake in the stories of interesting people and how their lives have unfolded, for photographs embodied with symbolism have the power to evoke memories and suggest a sense of place and time.

  The main focus of this project is to “poke fun” at the nonsense of N.C. House Bill 2 or HB2 for on both sides of the issue; there seems to be a no-win situation. The conversation is going to go on, but it’s so toxic it’s like being in a fog, like two armies firing at each other, but they can’t see each other.

  Daniels was inspired to create this enterprise through exposure to a combination of many views in the media and other conversations. What caught his attention to this issue was its usefulness as a tool of manipulation to influence the culture it intended to control. Daniels expands upon this experience, for he believes this body of work lends a unique perspective that gives voice to articulate and reflect the issue through the faces of the people in the project with creativity, passion, vision, and diversity.

  Daniels’ photographic career started at the U.S. Army Photographic School of Cartography, learning the basics of photography and photo printing. In addition to this formal training, he worked as a freelance photographer. He extended his photographic career by fine-turning the art of visual storytelling and developing a distinctive, decisive, and intimate photojournalistic signature style, which has led to various opportunities that include: Artist in Residences, Public Art Installations, Grants and varied other commissions.     

attached images:
Mellin, “Freewheelin’, Twenty One”.
Akers, “(Don’t) Let People Hook your Mind”>
Daniels, “American Gothic untitled 1”.

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