by Phillip Paeltz
Haley Clancy Inyart has opened a new exhibition of her works entitled Fridges & Freezers. The show is at the Governor French Gallery, 219 West Main in Belleville, Illinois. It is very impressive.
Ms. Inyart, like Degas, seems more comfortable drafting than coloring, but she is highly skilled at both. This is most powerfully demonstrated in her works that take a vertical perspective on the contents of a fridge. She literally looks down on what she believes to be harmful eating. It is a still life of things that can still life.
Curiously, she has chosen a point of perspective that was used by Salvador Dali in several of his religious paintings, especially crucifixions. For those of you who think that Dali’s crucifixion paintings are a strange juxtaposition with Inyart’s fridges, a reading of Inyart’s philosophy which is posted on one of the exhibition walls should help you. This artist has embraced a philosophy of healthy eating that reminds me of the religious fervor of some of my Hindu friends. Ms. Inyart has proven that passion for the Passion can be echoed by a passion for pacific calories.
Sometimes when you attend a showing of polemic art you encounter a disconnect between an artist’s powerful idea and that artistic skill. There is no such disconnect in Ms. Inyart’s work. Her elegant lines and wistful colors detail her contemporary ideas beautifully in a modern take on grisaille. This is work by a thinking artist; and it should sit best with people who think.
I hope that Ms. Inyart will consider directing her considerable talent to executing some smaller works. There are few people who have the space to hang these large pieces of her art. I have known many people who agree with this artist’s point of view. Most of them, however, live a life closer to Prufrock’s coffee spoons than Pope Sixtus’ Chapel.
Furthermore, artists especially artists who have a religious or political message, want their ideas spread. Some smaller works might facilitate this. It’s a poignant idea to illustrate the contents of refrigerators in the actual size of refrigerators. But, few people collect refrigerators.
Final thought: Haley Clancy Inyart is an artist of talent, skill, and insight. She has something to say. I hope others are listening. But then, maybe I’m wrong. What do you think?
Epilogue: Fridges & Freezers
Notable Work: “Is Healthy Eating a Choice for Everyone?” “How Processed Is Your Food?”
Viewer Availability: January 17 – February 9, 2020.
Enter school area through security doors.
Purchasing Availability: $350 – $1000