Opening July 10, 2021
Metro Montage XXI: Metro Montage is the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art’s annual juried exhibition featuring all types of genre, medium, style, subject matter, concept, and technique in art. Metro Montage XXI will feature, throughout all of the Museum’s galleries, works of fine art by contemporary artists that showcase the diversity and skill within our nation’s culture.
People's Choice Winner
Crystian Hopper (Destin, FL)
Ballet Be Great
2021
Colored pencil on paper
80 x 44.25 inches
“Glass blowing is so fascinating. I don’t understand it, but it is always beautiful! This ballet statue sat in my house and I wanted to ‘blow’ it up on a larger scale, but mimic that glass blown elegance. Almost resembling a trophy, this piece is meant to represent one’s passion for doing what they love and feeling free in that passion.”
Winning Artists
First Place
Kirsten Stingle
Stories are Forgotten Dreams
hand built porcelain and mixed media
Second Place
Fathima Mumin
MILES
ink on paper
Third Place
Debra Yaun
Summer Immersion
colored pencil
Honorable Mention
Joel Sobelson
Old Friends
pastel
Honorable Mention
Melvin Toledo
Claudia and Elvi
oil on aluminum panel
Metro Montage XXI Artists
Karen Adams
Ruler of The Kitchen
ink on paper
Chloe Alexander
Stasis refers to a state of equilibrium that is created by equal yet opposing forces. This work, which is a self-portrait of sorts, illustrates the energy exerted to maintain the equilibrium of two identities…one pulling me towards passion, the other pulling me away for the sake of normality, routine, and security. Both figures are a representation of self that are trapped in stagnation, which inevitably leads to the decay of both identities. Rather than becoming complacent with this state, I created print work that reflects on how to regain balance while in motion.
Courtesy of the artist
Mick Brandenberger
Living in Mediterranean History
oil on panel
Hannah Brooks
Neurodermatitis #5 was created as the conjoined efforts of Neurodermatitis #2 and #3. My work touches on the ever-changing relationships between the human body, the brain, and other members of humanity. Mirroring our architectural limitations in print to create a larger, organic piece that can also change shape is my way of gaining control over my life even if it is so small in comparison to the world around me.
Courtesy of the artist
David Carr
I See You was captured in Bozeman, Montana during the winter of 2019. Here, a mountain lion rests upright against a tree stump and peers into the camera with a hypnotic stare.
Courtesy of the artist
Glynn Cartledge
An artist who spent twenty-five years as a criminal defense lawyer, Glynn Cartledge’s work addresses the justice system, focusing on the reentry process of the formerly incarcerated. No. 136982 is part of the series “P2P” (Prisoners to Paper dolls), which is an exploration of the public perception of the formerly incarcerated. The series tackles punishment commentary, examining pejorative perceptions of felons while challenging the myths and stereotypes given those who have been released from incarceration. Glynn expands the conversation surrounding the residual restitution from the formerly incarcerated that is desired by the victims and the public
Courtesy of the artist
Glynn Cartledge
By challenging banal, preconceived notions of their worth, Glynn Cartledge presents the formerly incarcerated as if they were paper dolls in oil portraiture with accompanying, spirited, contemporary clothing. Archival criminal and personal documents, family photographs, collaged jail cells, and recorded historical transcriptions provide context. No. 136982 is a portrait of Landon, an affable young man from a small town in Ohio, who pleaded guilty to a first offense of Breaking and Entering, a fifth-degree felony. The State of Ohio sent him to prison for two years.
Courtesy of the artist
Jessica Cook
I have always been intrigued by the varieties of human expression. Creating figurative paintings helps me observe closely, to move beyond first impressions. Lately I am focusing on movement to capture the spirit of the person of a particular scene. Ultimately, I want people to be uplifted by my art or to participate in it by creating their own story.
Courtesy of the artist
Kara Daviau
Counting Stars and Fighting Sleep
acrylic on canvas and vintage book pages
Robert Detamore
The Tree of Knowledge
graphite pencil
Gene Dunn
Like many growing up in Manhattan during the late 1970s and 1980s, my major art influences were street and subway art, which led me to seek out and learn more about more traditional art. My aesthetic is principally influenced by the vibrant (atomic) energy of Jackson Pollock and the more nuanced, grounded forms of Paul Cézanne. I approach my work as a blend of craft and inspiration, rooted in the belief that small amounts of disciplined daily practice are the greatest determinant for progress. Much of my inspiration today emerges from my own diligent, daily practice and my “#doarteveryday” campaign. As Picasso said, “inspiration exists; it has to find us working.”
Courtesy of the artist
Cathy Ehrler
This series is a result of the stress of my isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. I needed something tedious, colorful, and beautiful to work on…something fun and time-consuming to keep me busy, while still being creative with recycled material. This work was created from items in my recycling and trash bins…old CDs, Amazon packaging, aluminum cans, paper boxes, drink packaging, egg cartons, pasteboard, envelopes, junk mail, Styrofoam and other takeout containers, single use plastic, yogurt containers, candy wrappers, and more make up this mosaic.
Courtesy of the artist
Andrew Feiler
Archival pigment print
In the South, it is in the center of our cities and towns that Blacks and Whites meet.
Pebbles is from my series entitled, “Blacks and Whites.” The images in this series portray glimpses of the modern Southern dynamic. Predominantly monochromatic, but often with a hint of color, these photographs offer small windows into those places and spaces where we all come together.
Courtesy of the artist
Clay Fisher
To create this image I used a composite technique that combines the photograph of the bird with a textured background. The intent was to create a final image that best represented the mood and personal emotions I experienced during the pandemic last year.
Courtesy of the artist
Jim Hill
In my poverty stricken days as a youth in the inner city of New York, I could not afford oil paint. Out of necessity, I created my own palette of colors using recycled paper material. I took different colored paper from magazines and posters and cut it all up into small pieces to create the palette for my “painting with paper.”
Courtesy of the artist
Crystian Hopper
Glass blowing is so fascinating. I don’t understand it, but it is always beautiful! This ballet statue sat in my house and I wanted to “blow” it up on a larger scale, but mimic that glass blown elegance. Almost resembling a trophy, this piece is meant to represent one’s passion for doing what they love and feeling free in that passion.
Courtesy of the artist
Denise Jennings
The light, movement in the sky and grasses, and the abstract shapes of the land draw me to our coastal marshes. They are calm and peaceful, yet so alive and constantly changing beneath the surface. This painting is about the reality of the place that lies beneath its surface. My hope is that it gives the viewer a sense of that essence and sparks memories of connecting with our amazing coastal environment.
Courtesy of the artist
Elizabeth Kayl
Complexity
digital photography
Sierra Kazin
The Travler
mixed media
Dawn Kinney Martin
Dawn Kinney Martin is an award-winning artist with national and international collectors. Her work hangs in the permanent collection of the Harris Arts Center in Georgia and can be seen in juried fine art festivals throughout the country as well as in regional galleries. “I love the challenge of working on location (en plein air). I strive to create expressive paintings that elevate the ordinary and encourage the viewer to appreciate the beauty of the day to day.”
Courtesy of the artist
Joe Krawczyk
Sun Surfing Chair
solid acrylic
The creation of my art chairs begins on paper. The design objective is to create a three dimensional chair using only two dimensional shapes. Once a design is perfected, the final refined shapes are drawn in Adobe Illustrator. The components are then laser cut from solid acrylic. Each individual segment is sanded, fitted, painted, and hand assembled.
Courtesy of the artist
Shelley Laband
One
oil
Tom LaBarge
Hero’s Perspective
photography
While honoring the thousands of heroes interred at the US Cemetery at Omaha Beach, Normandy, this image presented itself. The use of a very short depth of field with a 300mm lens creates emphasis on one particular headstone, but also speaks to the perfection and the size of this very special place.
Courtesy of the artist
J. (Jie) Li
(Jie) Li’s work is deeply influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy theories on Zen and Daoism. The theme of my artwork is to discover human’s inner self and human salvation. Li explores love, hate, and desire in the depths of human nature by using figurative and abstract cross-expressions to discuss the meaning of life, the positive and negative aspects of human nature. Li uses natural occurrences and disasters as symbols, bringing out the emotions and atmosphere in the paintings. Fire & Desire is the power of life instinct; it’s like a fire, more like wildfire or volcano eruption. The fire of desire, which constantly arises, also continues to change with the environment expand. Fire and Desire describes and expresses that the fire of desire is a driving force of life, but it could be the source of destruction, too.
Courtesy of the artist
Jonathan MacGregor
Jon MacGregor is a full time representational artist focusing on painting figures and landscapes as a form of emotional expression, using classical techniques with contemporary characteristics to fuse the past and present. As a child, he often searched for the nuances of all things, finding the intersections between fact and fiction and questioning constructs within art and art history. As the last of eight children within a military family, MacGregor travelled to Europe, taking in the architecture, classicalism, and traditions that are vital instruments of his work. Learning to paint at the age of seventeen, he began to research the work of American Realists and grow an immense appreciation for meaningful art, capturing the beauty, the minute, and the melancholy of all things in life.
Courtesy of the artist
Booth Malone
My Covid Response – Georgia
oil on linen canvas
Arline Mann
Transparent watercolor over graphite
Arline Mann lives in New York City and Chattanooga. Shelter was painted mostly in Mann’s Chattanooga mountain house, a refuge for her and family during the height of the pandemic in New York. Mann’s watercolors contemplate light and shadow in personal spaces and on cherished objects. Her work aims to project clarity, calmness, joy, and a benevolent world.
Courtesy of the artist
John Mariana
Early morning in the valley, the sun was creating beautiful rays through the clouds and trees. This image was captured during the fall Elk Rut. The large male Elk was collecting his females and turned toward me in a very proud and daring manner. He then moved into the trees. It was very special and I’m so pleased to have captured the moment.
Courtesy of the artist
Diana Marino
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
oil
Diana Marino
The Shortcut
oil
Julie Mazzoni
Summer at the Creek
mosaic
Candace McCollough
The combination of glaze, fire, and clay merge with spontaneous results in this raku-fired vessel. The matte glaze contrasts with the smooth surface of the vessel in both texture and color, which results from the reduction process that occurs once the vessel is removed from the kiln at about 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Courtesy of the artist
Candace McCollough
This piece was created with a low-fire technique, which does not vitrify (convert into glass or a glasslike substance, typically by exposure to heat) the clay. The subtle and organic trails of the horsehair are reflected in the curves and spontaneous growth of the rhododendron branch. Each branch is chosen to complement the vessel…sanded, stained, and attached to the final form.
Courtesy of the artist
Celeste McCollough
Noli Passeggiata
oil
Italy has the wonderful tradition of an evening stroll, known as the “passeggiata.” This painting recalls a beautiful evening in the small Mediterranean town of Noli, Italy, where I spent many wonderful hours.
Courtesy of the artist
Brenda Miller
Located in rural South Carolina, the Old Sheldon Church was built to completion in 1753 in the Greek Revival style. It was burned during the Revolutionary War, “rebuilt,“ then burned down again during the American Civil War. I had a deep feeling of peace while visiting these magical and beautiful ruins and hope to convey this feeling to viewers of this capture.
Courtesy of the artist
Elizabeth Mobley
The colors and patterns of this vessel remind me of some of my favorite delicious treats. On the outside, light pink and neon blue spin together…the classic colors of cotton candy. On the inside, chocolate swirls are reminiscent of hot fudge melting on top of cool vanilla ice cream.
Courtesy of the artist
Dale Molnar
Coosa
glass tesserae mosaic
The red eyed Coosa bass is suited for an exterior installation where the fish can swim in the landscape. The implied movement is integral to the concept of this work. Fused glass creates subtle tones and the slumping effect facilitated adherence to the sculpted substrate. For Coosa, the “andamento” (flow or movement of tesserae, or the pieces, in a mosaic) technique was used to show visual flow and direction.
Courtesy of the artist
Dale Molnar
Looking to the light and dropping the coins is that exact moment when St. Matthew answers the call “Come, follow me.”
Courtesy of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Tyrone, GA
Katherine Moore
I used the subtractive medium of scratchboard for Portrait of Bob. This entails using different tools to scratch through a black inked surface to expose the white clapboard underneath.
Courtesy of the artist
Tracy Murrell
Ode to Toni Morrison
high gloss enamel , acrylic, encaustic rice paper, resin
Graciela Núñez Bedoya
It was a perfect day with the sun in the sky and the wind in your hair, you walked towards a better life, you walked and left everything behind except whatever you could carry inside a little girl’s mind, you walked towards a promise but your feet were aching so bad, when did your journey turn sour and make you so sad? The home you once knew was taken away, the dreams you once had are now nightmares in your head. They say hope is the hardest thing to kill; you are no longer a girl but an empty shell.
Courtesy of the artist
Donna Outwater
Wanna Scratch My Head?
watercolor, pen, ink
“Wanna Scratch My Head?” was inspired by two friends, their dogs, and a young boy who stopped to chat at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art’s Chalktoberfest in October 2019. While they visited, one of the dogs looked about and the second dog seemingly offered the young boy his head to scratch. I enjoy capturing ordinary moments like this that take place during public gatherings.
Courtesy of the artist
Raoul Pacheco
9.15 (spectacular shine series)
guiled receipt
Bob Petersen
My ceramic art is influenced by my life experiences and the shapes, forms, textures, and colors in my environment. I am drawn to both the visual and tangible qualities of clay and its interaction with others. It is through my hands that I manipulate and mold the clay into a form. In my “Cloud” series, I explore the response to light on the surface of the form. Pushing, pinching, and folding the clay, I create spiral channels which suggest movement through each change of light. This use of the surface’s finish invites the viewer not only to explore the form by eye, but also encourages touch—connecting the observer to the hand of the maker. However, the Museum asks that you please refrain from touching the artwork in this setting.
Courtesy of the artist
Doug Pisik
Six Feet is part of a series titled “Art for Our Unusual Times” in response to the pandemic and represents the impact on society. Depicting a social gathering, this piece has dual imagery. The circles can be viewed as a safe six-foot social distance of an individual from others while also being viewed as a target.
Courtesy of the artist
Chuck Pittman
a little yes and a big No
photography
Joanna Poag
My work explores structure, time, and entropy as they relate to personal narrative. The accumulation of additions to the grids reveals growth and movement, reflecting my understanding of time as it relates to data, memories, and emotion. Time, which we often consider as linear and meant to be spent, has morphed into passages of rest and activity, fullness and chaos.
Courtesy of the artist
Donna Shiver
Release
charcoal
Gordon Skalleberg
Sitting Bear
laser cut steel
Joel Sobelson
Old Friends
pastels
Suzette Spinelli
Isolation
oils
Jane Springfield
Camden Traffic
watercolor
Camden Traffic is a street scene inspired by a small town I visited on a painting trip to Maine. I always enjoy these picturesque small towns and seeing how they contrast with the more crowded urban city where I live.
Courtesy of the artist
Steven Steinman
Circumstantial Circle
painted steel
Kristen Stingle
This piece is a story within a story; both heroines are caught mid-action/mid-narrative. They are part of a developing journey reflecting the retelling of past narratives and the informing of new ones. The television represents not only their transmission and repetition but also our connection to one another through the basic human elements of sharing experience and understanding. The presented “theater” harnesses the suspension of disbelief, using paper waves and fabric sea to convey the turbulent waters. This story is staged, but nevertheless sincere. The skirt is hand sewn, embellished with flowers that are hand cut, formed, and sewn. Inside the skirt/stage curtains is a hand embroidered messages: “Stories are Forgotten Dreams” in French. Both figures are embellished with glass balls symbolizing the magical and temporary nature of our dreams. The fan, covered in waxed and painted wallpaper and trim, hides an antique Victorian gem photo album.
Courtesy of the artist
Siyuan Tan
The Sculpture of David Was Destroyed in The Square
epoxy clay, wood, foam
Siyuan Tan
The Venus of Willendorf was Destroyed in The Museum
plaster
Cat Tesla
Chrysalis No. 348 was painted in France at the Chateau Orquevaux Art Residency in 2018. The French countryside has many beautiful lakes; petals, flowers, and lily pads float everywhere. I hiked through the French countryside, wrote down words that inspired me from my hike, and started painting. The words that inspired this painting are written on the back of the canvas: “Dancing Light Ripples Through Clear Water Petals Sway Floating Free To Nature’s Rhythm.”
Courtesy of the artist
Karen Varsha
Flowers are the perfect subject. They are beautiful and they stay posed. During COVID, I had lots of time and a camera. I focused on still-lifes and came up with a new series of florals. The black background and my shooting in the dark gave this image a painting-like appearance.
Courtesy of the artist
Gail Wegodsky
I found the reference image for this intimate library setting online, with that crazy red striped couch! There was a heating grate below the window, which I transformed into the window seat for the boy, Alex. I spotted Alex at an outdoor concert, went up to his mom, and asked if he would enjoy modeling. “YES!” she replied. He really nailed the yearning look.
Courtesy of the artist
Ron Whittingham
Saint John the Baptist Cathedral
watercolor
Susan Winchester
Summer of ’20
oil paint
Debra Yaun
A hard rain knocked leaves onto my windshield as I parked my car at home. I was fascinated by the shapes and colors as the rain distorted the trees in the background. The rain created abstract patterns as it ran down the windshield. Some areas are blurred and some are crisper.
Courtesy of the artist
Debra Yaun
I am fascinated by water reflections. In this piece, I wanted to capture the movement of crystal clear water in a pool with my friend’s granddaughter. The refraction of light creates an interesting abstract look when viewed up close, but at a distance it looks more like realism. The cool colors of the water complement the person’s warm skin tones.
Courtesy of the artist
