By Jennifer Vazquez—
NJCU student Leona Strassberg, 57, BFA Photography major from Denver, and NJCU alumna Mollie Thonneson, 54, BFA Painting/Drawing major from San Diego, co-curated the exhibition “Beyond the Garden” featuring their own works, along with works by sculptor Steve Singer, on September 7, 2012 for JC Fridays.
The one day show featured paintings by Thonneson and photography by Strassberg which use garden imagery to convey meanings beyond the picturesque. Strassberg’s photos are a series of nude self-portraits in a garden, printed on black and white digital archival prints. Thonneson’s paintings are from three different series using acrylic and oils on canvas and paper. They show abstracted representations of the garden, shadows of gardens, flowers growing through cracks on the pavement, and white statues in enclosed gardens in urban settings. To further emphasize the garden theme, the exhibit was shown in a backyard garden.
Strassberg’s works confront the idea of beauty within the aged and decaying. The garden that surrounds her is filled with dying plants, alluding to her aging. She shows her body for what it is, showing her positive self-image in her age.
This series is a continuation of the concept from her last series where she photographed portraits of women in their 50s and 60s. Her choice to continue the concept through a series of self-portraits actually came from one of her models. As a woman in her 50s, she found it was only fitting to include herself. “I had never done self-portraits before and I was really embarrassed. But, it really helped me grow and love me the way I am,” said Strassberg.
Thonneson’s works also allude to the concept of beauty in decay. Having been raised in an urban environment, it was hard to find the beauty in industrial settings. Thonneson sought that beauty and found it within the moments where the urban and natural amalgamated. Her series of “Crack Flowers” acknowledge the ugly urban setting (the pavement) and the natural beauty (the flowers growing through the cracks), thus calling to a new aesthetic brought by urban living. “Generally, my work is about living in the city and finding inspiration in not so inspirational settings,” said Thonneson.
Her “Shadows” series display abstracted representations of the shadows cast by a garden. Her more linear abstractions allude to the idea of death and rebirth within the garden as her paintings are done in layers, over old paintings, creating subtle overlays visible at close range. Their colorful and vibrant scheme alludes to bright colors of the garden, making them visibly coherent in the garden space. At the same time, these works allude to the urban in the use of marks reminiscent of graffiti.
Their works function well within the garden space, though the overall space could be a visual overload at first. However, the subtle relationship between their works, and to the garden as a metaphor, gives meaning beyond the pretty scene. Using traditional ideals of beauty, Thonneson and Strassberg have brought attention to a beauty beyond the archetypal garden.
