Images of
the inner body entwine with the surreal, whimsical figures in printmaker
Deborah Maris Lader’s MAPC print exhibition entitled Against All Odds. Lader primarily employs printmaking methods of
etching and lithography to sculpt her series, mirroring the storybook,
illustrative quality of whimsical characters. The overall effect of Against All Odds is that of a strong,
whimsical narrative with a dark undercurrent in its imagery. The impression of
a fairytale or children’s nursery rhyme is apparent in many pieces especially
due to the surreal, character quality of the animal and human figures.
The value
of narrative in this series is heavy, producing image after image that tells a
complex, strange story. Symbolism and thematic morality play together in
whimsical scenes of odd behavior and playful arrangements of characters.
Recurring imagery consists of birds, hands, tree branches, swings and other childish
activities, roots, blood vessels, and varying forms of connectedness.
The
strongest recurring motif that dominates the theme of the exhibited body of
work is that of birds. Most prints in the exhibition featured some form of
bird, often mixed with human anatomy or behavior. The fantastical quality of
the birds mixed into other forms and objects implies their intelligence and
character beyond simply existing as an animal. Even the realistically rendered
birds accompanied by no acts of whimsy can contribute to a “storybook,” fantasy
feeling. An image that came to mind, especially in conjunction with the
overarching idea of narrative, is that of a nursery rhyme, beckoning back to
tales of Mother Goose. Birds in themselves can also symbolize freedom, communication,
and spiritual connectedness to the sky. Other symbols included that arise from
their association with birds are cages, flight, water, sky, and nature. A caged
bird is a juxtapositioned metaphor, capturing something that is meant to be
free. Water, sky, nature, and flight are all also potentially spiritual in
essence.
Elements of
human anatomy imply intelligence, purpose, and emotional complexity. The print
entitled Uprooted, 2012 (fig. 1) plays with a domestic sense of romantic
togetherness or sorrow. A bird creature with a protective, ambiguously male
appearance cradles a softer female bird-woman in his lap, holding her with his
highly human hands. She lies against him with closed eyes, her bent legs giving
way to the image of human ones. The anthropomorphic birds are transformed into
human figures embracing languidly inside their underground “home,” while a
third humanized avian figure releases a flock of silhouetted birds into the sky
from the confines of what appears to be a cardboard box above. The sky is dark
and patchy, perhaps ominous and implying the dangers of the realm outside of
the domestic space. The hallow in which they dwell is cushioned by a tangled
bed of roots below, perhaps representative of familial strength. The title Uprooted gives a diasporic sense of
displacement of the family, and the encased image of the underground hallow
could also be viewed as a place of hiding and protection.
The mood of
the images is sweet even while depicting things that are strange. All similar
and contrasting ideas are thoroughly mixed both by merging them together as
well as by being symbolized in the twisted branches and anatomy that literally
tangle together. There is chaos but there is also peace. Childish abandon is
met with hints of a real, adult sense of danger. Chords of sympathy are
stricken, and humanity is touched upon with the help of the odd avian figures.
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| Figure 1: Uprooted. Lithograph with hand coloring. 2012 Deborah Maris Lader. |
- Holly Gavin
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