The road to a college education should be a cultural awakening full of eye-opening experiences and enlightening adventures, many of which can be accomplished by appreciating the amazing art Madison has to offer. Familiarizing yourself with local art may seem like a daunting task when added to a full class schedule and any of the other various activities that so many are involved with, but lucky for all you overworked and underpaid locals, Madison’s art scene is only a latte away.
In my first effort to show how easily accessible art can be, we will take a stroll down State Street and visit some of the coffee shops that feature the work of local artists. We begin our journey at the Catacombs, where a dollar gets you a mason jar of joe that you can take with you for a small deposit. Besides hiring resident artists to screen print posters for their weekend concerts, the Catacombs walls are always full of local art.
This month’s display comes from Jeff Wainwright, a University of Wisconsin alum with a knack for drawing. His first installment features four sketches that could be mistaken for the work of a comic book artist or a Greek sculptor. The first drawing depicts three busts of what appears to be the same subject. The smudged lines connecting each face show a progression of well-pronounced emotions. The lines used do an impressive job of evoking some very dramatic facial features. The second sketch is comparable to a figure on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Wainwright does an excellent job of shading and cross-hatching (using crossed lines to imply shadow) that accentuate the curves of the figure very well. The last two sketches were too abstract for my taste and the lack of any titles or explanation of the works left me wondering what exactly Wainwright’s intentions were.
Across the street and just a block down, I navigated to one of my personal favorites, the Espresso Royale Café. One of the more popular java joints on State Street, ERC is a great place for a local artist to get some exposure. That was featured artist Ben Madeska’s mindset when he inquired about displaying a series of his photos at ERC. After filling out a simple application and talking with an employee who handles the art display, Madeska was able to display and potentially sell his art with no charge from ERC. The Capitol building and Washburn Observatory are some of the more familiar Madison sights Madeska has captured. Madeska’s photos are unique, in that he has altered the sepia-tinted images by adding lines with walnut ink. The distinct lines serve as an interesting contrast to the slightly blurred images but at times confuse the viewer by causing items in the background to appear closer than they really are. Madeska’s choice of frames and matting perfectly accentuate his photos and add to the overall theme of the collection. Madeska, who said he was “more interested in getting feedback from people than selling,” refrained from pricing his work so as not to “detract from the overall look of the show.”
Better known as a restaurant than a coffee shop, the Sunroom Café rotates local artists’ work over their walls nearly every month. Jane Fasse’s collection of collages is currently on display and can be enjoyed from every table. Her intricate cutouts from what appear to be magazines and different kinds of fancy paper come together to form thought-provoking images that amuse and bewilder the viewer. While some works use images from nature, others create a darker mood through the use of black matting and bold colors. Because the medium is dainty and precise, I found the lighter-toned collages to be more aesthetically pleasing. The framed and matted pieces range from $45 to $55.
Another block down, I found myself at Steep and Brew, apparently a favorite for many Madison police officers, as I seem to always spot a few hanging out when I walk by. Not to cite an overused stereotype of cops’ love for doughnuts, but this was the only spot I found that handed out free pastry samples. The complimentary Danishes are worth noting, as they caught my eye more than Julian Lyn’s sub-par drawings on display. The earthy paper used for the drawings was more interesting than the images themselves. Not to say that Lyn is completely without skill — I just felt as though I had seen better sketches of trees in many an artist’s sketchbook. With their interweaving lines and tiny details, trees and their different parts can be intriguing subjects. I didn’t feel as though Lyn’s images offered any new insight to the popular subject. I was also surprised by the asking price of $120 for an unframed charcoal drawing of a tree entitled “Night Sky.”
My final stop brought me to Michelangelo’s Coffee House. With a split-level floor and plenty of wall space, Michelangelo’s has found enough room to display the work of two talented photographers. On the first level, Madison resident Ken Halfmann has displayed his collection of Madison-inspired photos entitled “Our Town.” His use of black and white film finely compliments the images of gnarly trees. The perfect shadow of a tree created by a midday sun caused me to wonder if Halfmann hadn’t gone back and added lines as Madeska had done in his images. Although I enjoyed his photo entitled “Dome Watchers,” which depicted two people lying on the floor of the Capitol building and looking up, I felt as though the image would be more powerful with color film, as the center of the Capitol building is very rich in detail and color.
The second level showcased my personal favorite of the displays thus far. Marcin Szczepanski, a former New York City photojournalist and current UW graduate student of sociology, has displayed his images from the “Streets of Brazil.” Szczepanski’s use of a wide-angle camera lens and color film draws the viewer into the photos and makes the subjects come to life. The beautiful facial expressions captured by his lens are emphasized in some cases by slightly blurring the background images. This technique made me feel like I was standing right next to the little boy by the water or playing dominos in Salvador. Although Szczepanski used a few different cameras to capture his subjects, he says, “Contrary to what some people might think, you take pictures with your mind.” Not only did Szczepanski obviously put a lot of thought into his photos, he also added a lot of feeling through his choice of colorful subjects to depict everyday life in Brazil. Szczepanski stated, “To take good pictures, you need to learn how to listen to people … You need to immerse yourself in their world as much as possible.” Szczepanski’s love for Brazilian life is made perfectly clear by the vibrant and entertaining subjects he has chosen for his show.
A blueberry muffin and four shots of espresso later, I was buzzed up and ready to share some of my newfound respect for local artists. All it took was a trip down State Street and probably less walking time than I spend bar hopping. Next time you need that triple mocha to keep you going at the library, take a look around and enjoy a bit of our local artists’ hard work.
