What a refreshing, reaffirming, reassuring and re-energizing experience recently to visit the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, VA and witness contemporary artwork that blends creativity, craft, societal reflection and obvious effort. The recent misuse of grand gallery space in Richmond has granted a high profile to installations that simply place store-bought objects in a space intended for originality, and that trend is disappointing. A breath of fresh air, the current Taubman exhibitions represent legitimate creativity and artistic craft.
Here are several excerpts from one of the exhibitions – Colette Fu: We Are Tiger Dragon People – specifically Photo Binge, a series of large-format backlit digital collages. The Fu exhibit is much larger, including many 3-D photo collage structures.
Yes, this work has a societal and cultural message, but it is also clearly visually captivating. As with the upcoming review of work by artist (and craftsman) Bob Trotman, the message can be much more effective when the work causes the viewer to linger, inspect and wonder.
Colette Fu has a diverse educational background, with degrees from VCU and UVA, and an MFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology.