Jay Bolotin is no stranger to the Cincinnati audience. His strong-willed persistence in the realization of long-term creative projects, such as Limbus: A Mechanical Opera, is inspiring. Currently on display at Solway is the developmental stage of the second part of his woodcut-to-video fable, The Jackleg Testament. The first room features his original graphite drawings, the eventual illustrations for his unusual narrative. Their style is grotesque but not ugly, featuring exaggerations of sensual features such as lips and eyes. Their hard outlines arise from both the woodcut process and the conception for the eventual animation. As part of the revelation of his process, Bolotin has covered much of the wall with the hand-written text of the fable. The handwriting, curiously, serves as a softening balance to the strongly delineated images, whereas in the first installment of his video, computer fonts were used.
Other works stand out in this exhibition, including massive castings in either plaster or white paper (part of his 'Leaves From a Cast Paper Novel'). Jay's opus merits a deep study in the artist's use of surreal and alchemical symbolism, as well as his inspiration from such filmmakers as Švankmajer and Kentridge; in this short format I can at best encourage a gallery visit.
-A.C. Frabetti
(Special thanks to Emily Buddendeck for her suggestions)
(Corrigendum: I had originally referred to Bolotin's original graphite drawings as reproductions. This has now been corrected above)
Jay Bolotin, 'Leaves From a Cast Paper Novel' at the Carl Solway Gallery, 424 Findlay Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. Phone: 513-621-0069. Through April 10, 2010.
Also featuring Jerry Uelsmann: 'Black & White Photographs.'
In Photo: Exhibition view of 'Leaves From a Cast Paper Novel' by Jay Bolotin, courtesy of the Carl Solway Gallery.
