“Tyson Reeder.” Flash Art International 37:235 (March-April 2004): 107-108.
Tyson Reeder, “Milwaukee,” Daniel Reich Gallery.
January 23-February 2004
Reviewed by Melissa Pearl Friedling
Admittedly, what little I know about Milwaukee comes from the vintage 1970s television show, Laverne and Shirley. The theme music announces “we're gonna do it!” as the opening title sequence features the two stars skipping effusively down a Milwaukee street (circa 1950s) and working the bottle capping line at Shotz Brewery. This is the same quintessentially American, beer-brewing, working-class city, now in the wane of its manufacturing heyday, that Tyson Reeder’s “Milwaukee” paintings reference. Mr. Reeder has previously distinguished himself for his work with the Milwaukee-based artist collective, Milhaus, who operate with a distinctive “we’re gonna do it” attitude. But, in this solo effort, Mr. Reeder’s affectionate, jewel-toned view of Milwaukee is burnished by a recognition, conscious or otherwise, that to effectively represent the complexity of this industrial city, a heroic “we’re gonna do it” optimism might be best replaced by a more humble expression of hope.
Mr. Reeder offers his modest proposal in diaphanous cityscapes (a purple-hazed landfill or a snowy “alpine village” over-coated by a milky wash) and iconic Milwaukee fixtures (a beer stein). While this urban study is familiar, it is also rendered fresh thanks to the artist’s quirky sensibility and a visual syntax that includes quacking ducks and exotic birds. Working on paper mounted on canvas, the paintings have a sparkly fresco look as the artist democratically mixes gouache, nail polish, pen, pencil, magic marker, and an occasional penny or plastic rhinestone. The disparate elements are assembled in layers that at times suggest pictorial illusions of depth and, at others, effect a distinct flattening. Mr. Reeder’s figurative expression ranges from a lyrical abstraction reminiscent of the Hans Hofmann School to a kind of outsiderish primitivism. Overall, the strength of the work resides in the artist’s improvisational style and bold palette that enable Mr. Reeder to obliquely, yet lovingly, describe a palpable sense of place.