The exhibit "I Am A Man" is currently showing at Ironton Gallery and Studios.  The premise revolves around the age old question...do men create different art than woman.  It's an interesting question because there are some mediums that are typically equated more with one gender than another and when someone crosses the gender line in the medium is it noticeable?

The three artists; Charles Counter, Randy Brown and Stan Meyer all have very different styles and mediums.  I felt that the work on the male art continuum was a bit like the Goldie Locks character when testing the beds of the bears.  I found the artists to range from something I would classify as very male, to very female and one in the middle.

Charles Counter's wood pieces are very male.  The material is male, the chunky wood cutting tool marks are male and the pieces that jut out are very male.  Randy Brown's carbon pigment prints I found to be very feminine.  The subjects were male but there is a wispy feel to the images, almost dream like.  There is a softness to the work that is soothing.  Stan Meyer's work I find to be an interesting balancing act.  His pieces made of woven tar paper are possibly the male translation of basketry, but his methods and the metallic work adds a definite masculine feel.  The pieces in the show are a mix of masculine and feminine representations, but again there is a balance.

It's interesting to look at the work and then ask yourself about your own style and is it gender identifiable?

In a quandary...
Greg