Inventing a New World

The title, “The Miseducation of Raymond O. Sink,†the show at the Tremaine Gallery at Hotchkiss, reminded me of a novel I read recently by Michael Chabon, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.†The book is about the infancy of comic books and given the symphonic similarity of the two titles I thought maybe the show would be about some kind of cartoons.

   I wasn’t wrong.

   But that doesn’t begin to describe the multi-dimensional work hung on the walls and positioned around the room of the gallery. However, the descriptive term for cartoons, which has more of a Disney connotation these days, is graphic art, though this is so much more as it comprises paintings, drawings and sculpture.

   The artists, Emily Sartor and Jim Wright, are husband and wife and share a studio, and subsequently concepts and ideas, but individual pieces do not share ownership. Their styles are complementary but

distinctly different; Sartor is responsible for paintings and drawings, which are both precise and lush. Wright produces work that is three-dimensional. His sculptures and paintings are multi-layered: using acrylic, he paints shapes on plastic, then cuts them out and applies them to the surface of the canvas. Both artists layer their work with huge amounts of information, multiple story lines and narratives. A riot of color and imagery fill each frame, jamming a ton of information and thought into each piece.

   So what is the “Miseducation of Raymond O. Sink?†Sartor and Wright have invented an entire world and story for the fictional character, Sink. They made him an inventor, determined to improve the world, but his inventions keep going

off track, bringing him to new

places of discovery. There is a literal narrative and a pictorial narrative but it will be up to the viewer to decipher the story.

   

The 1970s pop-art colors are intentionally misleading. At first glance, the viewer is invited to a three-ring circus, but on closer inspection, finds an undercurrent of darkness. A tiger sculpture has come alive in the studio and bitten off the head of the painter; The seductive riverboat in a sea of kudzu is actually decaying; The artist’s studio is adorned with paintings of naval disasters; The prisoners have broken free of the prison, and wild monkeys show up in multiple works.

   The curator, Teri Moore, sees recurring themes in the different stories; nostalgia, character development, historical character, process, discovery and misdirection, all with many parallels to the artistic process.

    It is, she says, “A miseducation being very much an education.â€

   For information, 860-435-4423 or Hotchkiss.org/arts.

   Tara Kelly’s art education includes time spent as Julian Schnabel’s studio assistant and running the New York office for Swiss art dealer Bruno Bischofberger.

Latest News

Kent Town Hall, where the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission approved the draft settlement.

Kent Town Hall, where the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission approved the draft settlement.

Leila Hawken

KENT– A year-and-a-half-long legal dispute over an unpermitted roadway and dock built through wetlands on North Spectacle Pond is approaching a resolution. The KenMont and KenWood summer camp and the town’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission are close to reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.

The conflict began after the IWWC denied the camp’s retroactive application in March 2024 for the road and dock, which were constructed without town approval sometime last decade. The Commission found both structures violated town regulations, leading the camp to file a legal appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
GNH blanks St. Paul 34-0 in Turkey Bowl

Wes Allyn breaks away from the St. Paul defense for a reception touchdown Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Photo by Riley Klein

BRISTOL — The Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic co-op football team ended the season with a 34-0 shutout victory over St. Paul Catholic High School Wednesday, Nov. 26.

It was GNH’s fourth consecutive Turkey Bowl win against St. Paul and the final game for 19 GNH seniors.

Keep ReadingShow less
Students curate Katro Storm portraits at HVRHS

“Once Upon a Time in America” features ten portraits by artist Katro Storm.

Natalia Zukerman

The Kearcher-Monsell Gallery at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village is once again host to a wonderful student-curated exhibition. “Once Upon a Time in America,” ten portraits by New Haven artist Katro Storm, opened on Nov. 20 and will run through the end of the year.

“This is our first show of the year,” said senior student Alex Wilbur, the current head intern who oversees the student-run gallery. “I inherited the position last year from Elinor Wolgemuth. It’s been really amazing to take charge and see this through.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Mini horses, big impact: animal learning center opens in Sheffield

Le Petit Ranch offers animal-assisted therapy and learning programs for children and seniors in Sheffield.

Marjorie Borreda

Le Petit Ranch, a nonprofit offering animal-assisted therapy and learning programs, opened in April at 147 Bears Den Road in Sheffield. Founded by Marjorie Borreda, the center provides programs for children, families and seniors using miniature horses, rescued greyhounds, guinea pigs and chickens.

Borreda, who moved to Sheffield with her husband, Mitch Moulton, and their two children to be closer to his family, has transformed her longtime love of animals into her career. She completed certifications in animal-assisted therapy and coaching in 2023, along with coursework in psychiatry, psychology, literacy and veterinary skills.

Keep ReadingShow less