First Friday Photos

The Coffee and Tea Room:


Java Juice:



Williamsport Frame Shop:

A Bias

Cadaver Bone, Return from the River Styx
Ed Wong-Ligda

oil on canvas
70" x 40"

Bob Dylan can't sing. Well, not in the classical sense. Despite this fact, he's the greatest singer I've ever heard. Even though Dylan cannot hit any note at will and he doesn't have a mountain-high scale (think Dream Girls), he can bend his voice in amazing ways that amplify his emotions and add a canyon of depth to his words.

If Dylan had tried to become a perfect singer, failed, and quit singing as a result, the world would've been deprived of one of the most fruitful, original, artistic paths ever trekked.

Thanks to Rock N Roll, most people would agree that a singer doesn't have to have perfect pitch to be effective. So--why doesn't the same go for painting?

Art historically, this is a moot point. Realism has gone in and out of favor on a strange cycle due to the fickleness of the art world. But generally (that is--not in the art world), viewers will always favor realism over anything else. An artwork is better if it looks real than if it doesn't. But is a song always better if it's sung perfectly? We've already answered that question.

This issue came to mind again because I just received a copy of the new Showcase in the mail today with Ed Wong-Ligda's painting on the cover. Now, I have nothing against Ligda, I can't--I haven't even seen his work yet. And some of the paintings on his website have me excited because they're about more than skill (especially the painting titled Fine Art http://edwong-ligda.com/framesetport.html). But I'm always wary when I see realism because I know that people will stop their considerations at being impressed. "Wow--that looks real!" they think and that's that. This result splits artwork into two categories: right and wrong. If it looks real, it's right. If it doesn't, it's wrong.

So, when you go to Penn College's gallery next week, on Feb. 10th, to see Ligda's work don't just marvel at the skill employed, think about what it's being employed for. What story is the painting telling? How does Ligda wrestle with finish? What emotion does it convey? Is there more to the picture than one expects?
Here's to hoping that I embarrass myself by being blown away at the exhibition...