Chilling Views

If the only purpose of art was to give you the warm fuzzies, the world would be a frightening visual hodgepodge of Anne Geddes photographs and IKEA prints. And while this would likely be a welcome aesthetic among the denizens of SMU sorority houses, the rest of us would ache...

By Jennifer Elaine-Davis

January 15, 2009

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If the only purpose of art was to give you the warm fuzzies, the world would be a frightening visual hodgepodge of Anne Geddes photographs and IKEA prints. And while this would likely be a welcome aesthetic among the denizens of SMU sorority houses, the rest of us would ache for something a little more stimulating, challenging and even a little creepy. Ultimately, while the cheerful and cute has a place in both fine and commercial art, work that is a little darker and that drives us to the verge of squeamishness often leaves a bigger impression. Case in point: Dallas artist Kathleen Wilke's The Lady of the Lake series, featured in an exhibit titled The Unseen Seen, is a chilling combination of her talent for capturing underwater scenes and the local ghost story involving a long-ago drowning at White Rock Lake. Wilke's previous work has focused on capturing movement in water, often almost gleefully, so the cold, ominous and ghostly work displayed at Decorazon Gallery, 417 N. Bishop Ave., is a departure for the photographer. While certainly heebie-jeebie worthy, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more stunning, affecting exhibit anywhere in the metroplex. The exhibit, also featuring work by Jane Fulton Alt and Wendy Kveck, runs through February 2. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Visit decorazongallery.com.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 6-9 p.m.; Sundays, 12-4 p.m. Starts: Jan. 15. Continues through Feb. 3, 2009

Jennifer Elaine-Davis

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