When one thinks of the State of Utah Fine Art Collection, paintings of idealized landscapes, rustic log cabins and Moab arches come to mind. While these classic Utah scenes might seem familiar, the current exhibition “Mélange” at the Alice Merrill Horne Gallery seeks to look at this prestigious collection from a fresh, intriguing perspective.
Located at the historic Glendinning Mansion, across the street from the Governor’s Mansion, this exhibit represents an eclectic and intimate understanding of Utah’s fine art collection. Nowhere in the exhibit will one find a boring scene of floral arrangements, but instead a student might happen upon a contorted model of a duck poised to attack in Emmett D. Parker’s piece titled “Aggression.”
This strange creature represents only one of the many surprises visitors will find lining the gallery’s walls. Other artworks include an homage to Matisse by Gregory Abbott, which depicts a cow languidly standing in a well-decorated room with a recreation of “La Danse” humorously painted on its side. The gallery also features an over-the-top portrait of former governor Scott Matheson and his wife Norma made of inlaid wood that artist Neldon Bullock made for them.
The idea for “Mélange” was started after Collections Registrar Emily Johnson became intrigued by a sculpture entitled “Hot on the Trail with Deputy Dog” by Winston Tite. The sculpture is an abstract wooden piece painted in vibrant colors that challenges notions of dimensionality and has absolutely nothing to do with the classic cartoon character. Working on a daily basis with the pieces in the collection, Johnson began to note all of the eccentric and unrecognized work the collection held. In an effort to bring these curious works to the public’s attention, Johnson co-curated this show with Felicia Baca to honor these forgotten treasures.
Every work in the show has a storied past like a painting Josef Eidenberger’s of the Capitol collected from the Governor’s Mansion fire of 1993. The painting is covered in soot and ash that obscures the Capitol except for one section of glass that was wiped away so the condition of the painting in the frame could be assessed. This type of work represents a curatorial nightmare of how, and if, the soot should be removed. However, in its current form it is nothing less than a ghostly, haunting image that is imbued with a strange elegance and literal history.
It is works like these with curious histories that Johnson sought to promote and record through this show. Many of these works would never be seen, simply because they are so obscure or their stories never told without an exhibition like “Mélange.” In any good-sized collection — not to mention one that is 114 years old and contains thousands of works — there are bound to be odd pieces hidden away in nooks and crannies. It is shows like “Mélange” that allow students to peer into those crannies and see what mysterious objects emerge.
“It is important not to forget the eclectic in the collection,” Johnson said.
In lieu of the traditional landscapes and farm scenes the collection is traditionally known for, Johnson has opted to present a new and intriguing view of Utah’s art history to the public. It is worth a visit to “Mélange,” open until June 14, to see the obscure, hidden and oddball visual history that breaks up and disjoints the typically conservative art history of Utah.