Lex Miller

LBST 1105H
Ms. Julie Hicks
October 17th, 2014

McColl Center Response

Last Friday we went to the McColl art gallery in Uptown Charlotte. I absolutely
loved the antiquey, rustic, run-down vibe from this gallery. It originally was a brick
church, which eventually became abandoned. It then became a home to many squatters,
and unfortunately burned down. It was recently renovated and historically saved. This
gallery is home to many local artists. I especially enjoyed this gallery because it wasnt
cookie cutter; it wasnt bleak and bare, consisting of four white walls. I was surprised that
an art gallery was placed in a building that wasnt all white, bare, and extremely clean.
Yet while this gallery didnt consist of white, bare walls, every piece was perfectly lit and
easily visible. Parts of the brick were broken and missing, blackened and charred from
fire, and lighting and heating pipes were exposed and lined the high ceilings. I found this
gallery to be very real.
The first level of this gallery displayed a massive golden piece as high as the
ceiling of the entire building on the left-hand side and a number of wooden sculptures
glued together all throughout the walking areas. On the far right side, was a paper piece
that covered the entire right length of the gallery. I thought it was a nice balance how the
massive paper pieces were on the far sides of either walls and the wooden sculptures
were between them in the middle. One piece that attracted me right away was near the
front door of the gallery. It was a giant golden collection of papers that awed visitors
simply from its size and luster.
The first piece that I knew I wanted to write about was the film piece on the first
floor. I didnt notice it at first because it didnt make a lot of noise and it was hidden
behind a wall. I almost didnt notice it at all. It was probably the most inconspicuous
piece in the gallery. It was hard to interpret at first glance but after a while of looking, I
could tell that it was split screen. One half of the video was entitled Hold On, the other
half was entitled Wave Around, and together, the piece they created was entitled
Kivanrepu. Half of it consisted of a video showing glaciers and water levels rising and
the other half showed a NASCAR race. Without even reading the bio about the piece that
the artist had contributed, I knew it had to do with global warming and environmental
issues. I fell in love. I believe that since this work of art was in video form, it makes it
easier to inform the audience of what the artist was trying to convey and shows you
EXACTLY what they want you to see. The split screen works to show you how while
one area of the world is doing something entertaining, they turn a blind eye to how it
could negatively affect the environment in a different area of the world. People act
without thinking about their consequences.
The fact that this piece had to do with the environment is what drew me in to it.
Other pieces in the gallery also served the purpose of sending a message about global
warming but I found this one the most direct and efficient in the delivery. Also, the fact
that it was created in a different medium than everything else on that floor of the gallery
made it stand out. After I watched it for a few minutes, I realized that both sides of the

video were moving in fast motion. I figured that the artist, Marek Ranis, chose to create it
this way to demonstrate to viewers how quickly our actions and choices affect our planet
and how quickly our Earth is deteriorating. NASCAR specifically, I thought was an
interesting choice of vehicle to choose for the piece. From this choice we can see that
Marek was speaking to his audience here in Charlotte, and the South of the U.S in
general, where NASCAR is both important and relevant to a vast majority of people.
Also, NASCAR was a very intelligent choice because it draws attention to fans that are
both wealthy and not so wealthy. Typically, we can assume that wealthy people are
probably more educated in global topics such as global warming. However, perhaps the
not-so wealthy NASCAR fans are maybe not educated as much about global warming.
This piece of art is able to show this margin of fans the detrimental effect of NASCAR
racing. Similarly, many pieces of art that touch on the societal issue of global warming
send a message that says, dont do this or do this, but never explain to the audience
why they should or shouldnt do whatever the art shows. This piece however, shows a
direct correlation that tells the viewers driving in aimless circles is bad for the
environment because exhaust from cars can lead to melting of ice caps. Hopefully,
people understand this and more artists produce art as direct as this piece and that in turn
will help change our climate and environmental conditions. Overall, I think Marek Ranis
is trying to prove to his viewers how humans control environmental conditions and we
are not acting as wisely as we should and in turn, causing a huge, irreversible shift in
climate.
The second piece that drew my attention was Survey. This work of art consisted
of declassified military survey maps, gold leaf, acrylic, and wood. I enjoyed the
aesthetics of this piece because it looked like a giant, messy collage. I admired the
juxtaposition of the pastel map layered with shiny flecks of gold. Due to the mass
confusion that they cause, I often find maps unappealing, however the scraps of gold in
this specific map give it life and personality. This work of art also demands to be seen by
its captivating size. Made of paper, this piece stretched over fifteen feet in length along
an entire side of the gallery. I found the size of this piece pertinent to the message it was
trying to convey to its viewers. The map is a metaphor for the size of the Earth and the
gold flecks mark the Artic Circle, which has recently become valuable to military sea
travel. However, with the growing pollution in the Artic Circle, indigenous species are
dying off and glaciers are melting. While the gold on the map is beautiful, its almost a
negative stain to the map because it shouldnt be there. Also, this map is of the world,
letting everyone know that not just one country or area is affected by this harm and
pollution, but everyone on Earth. Thats why this piece of art means a lot to me, to
represent that we are all in this together and that every little thing matters and for people
to realize that there is a domino affect to our actions.
I deeply enjoyed Marek Ranis collection and his many pieces that shed light on
environmental issues. He was able to address these problems and the detrimental effects
of pollution while making beautiful art in a wide variety of mediums.