Local Art Seen: Kandy at Benchmark Tattoo & Gallery

Carla Hamilton

I arrived at Benchmark Tattoo around 8:45 Friday eve. There were a dozen young people out front sitting, standing, talking, laughing. A dog lay near the door, in the way of the door actually, and one could see inside that there were people getting tattoo work on a couple of the beds, or stations (whatever they are called.) It was my seventh art opening of the young night, and I not yet beginning to tire of seeing the new work by so many interesting people.

The show here was titled Kandy and it featured work by Carla Hamilton and Cully Williams, the son of a close friend of hers. Hamilton, who lived in Germany for 19 years, had a stash of artwork that did not come back to the States when she first returned. Since that time she went back and retrieved a portion of it so that I looked forward to seeing some new pieces. Four of these were in the June Goin' Postal Show, but I anticipated more, plus some other new work. 

"Separate" by Cully Williams

Cully Williams presented a number of smaller pieces, some with edgy content. He also had a very large piece into which he had clearly invested himself, an immense line drawing on what appears to be brown butcher block paper. The drawing is essentially a vortex creating the illusion of lines converging in the center of the paper at infinity. Because of the nature of the lines it could also be seen as folded paper depending on the angle one looked at it. 

Williams also took special care in building a unique frame for the piece using glass, wire and turnbuckles. His meticulous attention to detail and tedious execution of the concept served to produce a mesmerizing effect.

Hamilton's new work likewise has features that entice including her ongoing fascination with color. The surface textures on her mixed media paintings are especially interesting. One gets the feel that she has poured a thin layer of glass over some of the pieces, like a glaze, and like raku pottery the crackling produces effects both unexpected and unique.  

Cully Williams with his line drawing.

From Hamilton's "Mädchen" series

Detail of Hamilton's effects

"Presents" by Williams

"Zerbrechlich wie Starke" by Hamilton

If you're taking a meal at Sarah's Table sometime in July, take a stroll across the intersection and check out this new show by Hamilton and Williams. You'll find it intriguing.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Especially here in the Twin Ports. Enjoy it.