Quit the Neighborhood, a collection of drawings by Sara J. Frantz, can be viewed at the Cactus Bra Space from June 4-21, 2009. The exhibition demonstrates the relationship between structures and the vast landscapes on which they are placed, as perceived by the artist during her travels to Iceland and West Texas.
Frantz presents to the viewer a series of dime-sized homes sprawled across a seemingly desolate white landscape. One cannot help but create a relationship between the varied structures that range from small Icelandic homes to the trailers of West Texas. Though separated by miles of land and ocean, these structures seem united by a common composition that consists of faint signs of civilization against an overwhelming abyss. The negative space weighs heavily on each structure while giving little distinction between what could be recognized as Iceland or West Texas, allowing only the structural differences to indicate the location of each piece. This seems to negate the idea of cultural and geographical differences and instead, focus the viewers attention on the idea of a land lacking in the human touch.
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Works such as Iceland-Scape 3 and Outside Presidio, Tx from Frantz reflect an idea wherein the land itself, whether grassy plains or desert, is of no importance. All one needs reflect upon, is the idea of a terrain with little to no human presence in a world that is focused primarily on the densely populated mega cities, with structures that scrape the sky.
One cannot help but be overcome by a sense of quiet solitude while viewing each drawing. With only a few graphite structures to occupy a vast white terrain, each becomes reminiscent of a time spent outside the confines of an ever expanding city, and within the confines of an ever diminishing raw landscape. A landscape with hilltops in place of rooftops, where the sun drenches every inch of ground as it is not shaded by steel and brick, and the sky retreats behind the furthest visible point of land rather than the nearest building. This small glimpse of desolation makes for an interesting contrast to what one might view on a regular basis if constantly surrounded by the cityscape.
To view more work by Sara J. Frantz, visit: http://www.sarajfrantz.com/
http://www.cactusbraspace.com/
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