BALE in South Royalton. Titled "The Golden Era of the novel Dawn & other distractions," the indicate of 32 collage and print works is on view through July 1. Powell's fascination with science is playful, but his work also speaks to the lack of that interest in contemporary culture. "I am increasingly interested in the 19th century, and when knowledge was shared and scientific pursuit was fragment of a holistic 'natural philosophy,' not a narrow search for novel weapons or drugs," he writes in an artist statement. "We absorb lost much of our childlike wonder and awe for a universe that presents us with novel marvels. The need to quantify existence has become a shackle to science and education." Powell himself is in no danger of losing his sense of wonder and awe. He brings viewers along for the ride through his seemingly limitless collection of images from old-fashioned books, and magazines,maps, postcards and other ephemera, or which he repurposes as exquisitely executed collages and prints. His skillful cutting,imaginative assemblage and other techniques make each image a seamless whole. In Powell's hands, disparate elements coalesce into something novel and mysterious, and a sum greater than the individual parts. "Globalization the Prequel," for example, overlays old-fashioned maps with grids in a collage of four large "globes" and numerous smaller ones. The effect is that of an imaginary world, or but labels in bold imply otherwise. Rosebud and Miles City,for instance, actually exist in the lower 48 states. The former name has multiple potential references: the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, or the mysterious dying utterance in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane,the bud of a rose, a term of endearment. The work inspires thoughts about the world before the era of globalization, or yet presents more questions than answers. If mystery appeals to humans generally,mystery in art has a special appeal; it gives people the opportunity to enter an endless loop of satisfaction as they ruminate on what they see. Such mystery is here in spades. A Georgia native, Powell received his BFA in portray from the University of Georgia and an MFA in visual art from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Currently he is an associate professor of art at the State University of novel York…
Source: sevendaysvt.com