Creative Impulse: Outside Visits - Ida Applebroog and Susan King

     I recall constantly being taken on class trips to ICA. It was always with the purpose of having a docent iterate the exhibit. Now I was on my own. Guiding myself through the works of Ida Applebroog and Susan Te Kahurangi King. I originally assumed this exhibit would have a familiar feel. However I found myself in a space where the work reflected more then just the past times I've been there.

    Susan King explored the concept of Disney characters such as Donald Duck and Goofy. Creating patterns with depictions of these characters building a intricate design. As an outsider artists King used her knowledge of repetition and well-known figures to create a sense of nostalgia. Approaching the work is like approaching a photo album. A glimpse at the past. Ida Applebroog's work on the other hand was eerie. Exploring the idea of gender and body she is able to create images out of what seem to be ink marks and intentional spotting. Ida Applebroog's Mercy Hospital series was unsettling for the most part. She uses the human form constantly manipulating the scenes with natural markings. The work was organic while precise. Experimental in many different aspects. 

The combination of the the two artists was interesting. One complimented the other in elements of color, structure, and style. As if they two works fed of one another.