Many people value art primarily for its beauty — something pleasant to hang on a wall or spruce up a room.
But when artists Maryrose Gondeck and Rebecca Tolle look at the world, they see many things that aren’t beautiful — violence, injustice and suffering, to name a few. How can an artist to respond to these things, if they only strive to capture beauty?
“I’ve done beautiful art and all that, but I wanted to have a message and meaning in my art now,” said Gondeck.
Their new show at the Owatonna Arts Center, “Our Road Marks Our Destiny,” opens Sunday, Oct. 13. There, viewers will find a strikingly varied assortment of pieces, but the artists see common threats beneath the painted surfaces.
Rather than present a unified visual identity, they’ve assembled pieces that speak to real-world troubles that weigh heavily on their minds. It’s a show ripped from the headlines, with one inspired by a California wildfire and another commenting on the Supreme Court.
The two artists work in neighboring studios, with Gondeck renting space in Tolle’s Northfield gallery, Tolle Fine Art. The two of them work closely together, offering critiques and sharing what they’ve learned about art.
“We talk about each other’s work. That’s the nice thing. I can talk to Maryrose about my work. She can talk to me about hers. We do this dialogue, conversation, that art is all about,” said Tolle.
The upcoming show originated when Tolle invited OAC Artistic Director Silvan Durben to visit an exhibit of Gondeck’s work she was showing in Northfield. He was struck by what he saw, and invited them to collaborate on a show.
In their work, he sees a “depth and spirituality” that beckons him to explore further.
“They speak to me. There’s a relationship that happens with me, the viewer, and the piece. The artist has made something that maybe we think is abstract and not a realistic form, but she’s imbued in it her essence of who she is at the time and moment she’s making it,” said Durben.
Gondeck feels the variety of the show makes it more compelling. Despite the differences in their work, both approach art as a means to grapple with the world around them and the issues they’re concerned about.
Each piece has a story behind it, some event or moment that inspired the artist to pick up a paintbrush. The show includes Tolle’s “Never Another Birthday,” a response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which the shooter killed 22 people including himself.
Even when they’re working quickly in response to current events, Tolle said each of her and Gondeck’s pieces reflect a great deal of thought.
One of Gondeck’s pieces, “Disintegrating Man,” captures her feeling that power and influence is increasingly falling into the hands of psychopaths, and her frustration that the world is still plagued by senseless violence even as society supposedly evolves.
“I have a theory. Evolution is no longer about survival of the fittest. It’s survival of the most selfish,” she said. “We have all this technology, and yet we still have war.”
While she acknowledges being frank about her opinions may irritate some people, but she’s more concerned with finding catharsis in her work, and hopefully making an impact in the process.
Tolle, at least, likes to see people respond positively to her art.
“Everybody likes to be appreciated. It’s a tough business, we know that,” she said.
“And me, I don’t really care,” added Gondeck.
“I still do, but I’m getting there,” Tolle laughed.
IF YOU GO
“Our Road Marks Our Destiny” will be on view at the Owatonna Arts Center Oct. 6 — Nov. 10.
The arts center will host an opening reception for the show 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13
Local News
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