Charlotte Ka (review)

C H A RL O T T E KA Ham m onds House Gallery At lant a, Georgia REVIEW EverlastingCircle(detail), 1996- 7, m i x ed m e d i a i n st a l l a t i o n , c o u r t e sy of t h e ar t i st . I n t h e Af r ican Am er i can t r ad i t i o n o f call- and- response b r o u g h t over by en sl aved p eo p l e, New York ar t i st Char lot t e Ka, sound s a cal l . Thr ough her m u l t i m ed i a ex h i b i t i o n , "Co wr i es, Crosses an d Black - eyed Peas, " Ka voi ces m et ap h o r i cal calls t o aw ak en , t o h eal , an d t o h o p e. Like t h e m u si cal f o r m , t h e aest h et i c ex p er i en ce i s raised t o i t s f ul l est ex pression as vi ewer s r esp o n d . The ex h i b i t i on is a m u l t i - sen sory ex p er i en ce com p osed of m ix ed m edia p ai n t i n g s, scu l p t u r es, sou n d s, an d sm el l s. Th e d o m i n an t co m p o n en t o f t h e show, i n size, m ean i n g , an d com p lex it y, is t h e i n st al l at i o n , You can bur n d own t h e ch u r ch es, b ut yo u can 't bur n d own The Ch u r ch . Two t o w er i n g p ai n t i n g s rise t o w ar d t h e cei l i ng w i t h an m p osing cross an d st eep l e cen t er ed wh er e t h e p ai n t i n g s m eet . Ref l ect i ve ad d i t i ves, r o p e, an d t h e hym n "Ever y t i m e I f eel t h e Sp i r i t " are en cased , m i x ed , an d co n t ai n ed w i t h i n t h e p ai n t i n g s. On t h e f loor, rest s an alt ar- lik e ar r an g em en t . Charred w o o d , p ower ob j ect s, sm al l en cau st i c p ai n t i n g s, d r ied f l o wer s, d el i cat e f i g u r i n es, m i n i at u r e ch ar r ed chur ch st r u ct u r es, an d f a m i l i al p h o t o g r ap h s com e t o g et h er t o f or m a t en f o o t sacr ed cir cle r em i n i scen t of a h eal i n g r i t u al p l ace. The sm ells o f wax , ch ar r ed w o o d , an d f l ower s co m b i n e wi t h t h e vi su als an d Jo h n Col t r ane's m ovi n g...