"SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE" AT NEPTUNE IS A MUST SEE
by Souheil Chemaly
Bethesda Art Blog
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Yesterday was the opening reception for "See what you want to see" at Neptune gallery. Four different artists had their work on display. Ed Bisese, Elaine Langerman, Violetta Manavis and Mark Behme. Although a broad range of works and media (digital photography, mixed media, wood) are on display, the show is cohesive. The art work on display, takes you through dreams and aspirations of humans. The serenity of children's dreams in Elaine Langerman's work, more lusty aspirations in Violetta Manavis digital images, the need inside each and everyone of us to be a superhero in Ed Bisese work.
However, to me the most intriguing and disturbing work are two unassuming and small scultpures sitting next to each other by Mark Behme. The first one entitled "Memory" represents the bearded head of an African-American man who looks pretty menacing. The other entitled "Judge and Jury" is a white man wearing a baseball cap, who looks pretty innocent and ordinary. The catch is that the skull of these "heads" can be opened and inside the first one you can see a dog, in the second one it is the barrel of a revolver. Thoughts of social justice and prejudice come swirling into your mind. The preconceived ideas about those two men that you would have formed by judging them just from looking, come crashing by a simple look inside their head. My only regret is that they are not sold as a set, but as separate pieces.
There is more work on display by Mark Behme, one in particular "split tales" is an interesting look at the same personality split in two, one sleeping the other more up-right, I guess as a metaphor for the dichotomy and ambivalence in each one of us. You can't help but have a flash back to works by Damien Hirst.
"See what you want to see" at Neptune, is a must see. You may not like all the work on display, but it will definitely make you smile and think.