Solitary Actor on Stage

by Stephanie Harvey

On the third floor of Penn State’s Visual Arts Building, there is a glow of warm light emanating from the depths of a small dark studio space. Lurking in the shadows, the walls are covered with dark, moody charcoal renderings of domestic spaces that exist in another place and time. However, one wall and one work are illuminated - a thin cloth hangs against a clean white wall. The sources of the warm light hang vertically on either side of the fabric masked by large white panels, positioned to attempt backlighting the pale sheath.

From across the room, the hanging fabric is distinctly a curtain, with its subtle grey textile patterns and details and billowing fabric. Upon closer inspection, it is no ordinary living room curtain- it’s a graphite drawing of another existing curtain, translated onto a plain white fabric that’s size mimics that of a store bought curtain.

Reimagining and interpreting personal spaces with charcoal or graphite drawings is not a new venture for artist Joelle Francht. However, when viewing a sequential portfolio of her work, a progression is evident. This piece is the next step in the sequence- lifting the image from a flat surface, honing in on a certain aspect of the space, and rendering it on a surface that could operate in a two or three-dimensional realm.

Although the drawing of the curtain itself is technically precise, meticulous, and attractive, the presentation raises some issues. The curtain is hung using shiny metal clips, a method used in a past work that had been questioned. Although the work is merely a representation of a curtain, should it be treated as just a drawing or could it push further into tromp l’oeil?

Lighting has always been an important aspect within Francht’s drawings. For this piece, shadows are drawn on the fabric, but light is considered mostly as an external factor. However, it is unclear as to what the lighting is trying to reveal physically or conceptually. Ultimately, it seems this piece is lingering, waiting for a clearer definition of focus- mark making or context?