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- "Bimbo Summit" by Velvet Other World
In "Righty Tighty, Black & Whitey," an exhibition at Hexum Gallery in Montpelier, "black" is the most pertinent word in that amusing title. The half dozen artists wield only graphite or charcoal in the creation of their remarkable drawings. The range of tones, from lustrous ebony to a whisper of gray, redefines the term "penciled in."
Hexum owner and curator John Zaso has indulged his penchant for graphite artworks in previous group exhibits. "Righty Tighty" is a showcase for the humble yet exacting medium, in which the artist's steady hand is inescapably evident.
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- "Screw" by Edward Givis
Edward Givis' drawings of tools are both simple and painstakingly precise. In his 11-by-15-inch "Screw," the outsize subject dominates the gray-shaded field, angled like a jet taking off. With an exquisite rendering of light and shadow, Givis makes his screwhead shine with the can-do optimism of the Industrial Revolution. The drawing also projects, none too subtly, sexuality. As for Givis' "Double Shovel," let's just say viewers will forevermore see their gardening implement in a new way.
Velvet Other World — aka Josh Allen and Katrina Pisetti — assert sublime control over the messy medium of charcoal. According to Zaso, the two work together simultaneously on the drawings they refer to as "bimbos." Theatrical and archetypal, their saucy, stylized compositions typically present voluptuousness, costumery and gems. The artists' application of charcoal on paper is luxuriant and sensual.
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- “Untitled 2" by Francesco Igory Deiana
Francesco Igory Deiana executes, with graphite on illustration board, alien designs that defy categorization. In the 16-by-12-inch "Untitled 2," neatly bulbous shapes are contained in Rorschachian symmetry. In the much larger "Untitled 1," Deiana pairs a columnar shape on the right with curving, vaguely botanical forms on the left. In this artist's hands, graphite resembles gently undulating satin.
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- "Bust III" by Elliot Purse
With charcoal, pastel and gouache on paper, Elliot Purse renders an excessively muscled male torso in the 52-by-42-inch "Bust III." It's one of a series of drawings inspired by the artist's fascination with professional wrestling, Zaso explained. Separated from the rest of its owner, the torso might be a remnant of classical sculpture. Yet the anatomical drawing looks astonishingly lifelike, with charcoal for skin.
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- "Book Bird" by Ryan Travis Christian
Ryan Travis Christian provides comic relief in "Righty Tighty" with three illustrations in graphite on paper. With confident line and delicate sfumato, the artist marries old-school cartoons and contemporary controversies. The hilarious small drawing "Nashville (Welcome)" skewers pearl-clutching about drag queens. It's not clear what taboo Christian is addressing in "Book Bird," but for sure the plucked chicken staring wide-eyed at a levitating Bible looks alarmed.