A sense of displacement: Fumi Ishino’s “On the Palette of Scarlet” at Visible Records
“There was much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust,” writes Edgar Allan Poe in his short story “The Masque of the Red Death.” Inspired by the weird atmosphere of Poe’s work, there’s plenty of the beautiful and the bizarre in photographer Fumi Ishino’s “On the Palette of Scarlet,” currently on display at Visible Records.
Ishino, who divides his time between Los Angeles and Tokyo, was drawn to Visible Record’s unique program. “It’s rare to find a community-based platform that focuses on art, social context, and education in Los Angeles,” says Ishino. “I was intrigued to learn more.” After a discussion with Visible Record’s Co-director Morgan Ashcom, where they discussed Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” the idea for the exhibition was born.
In the short story, Prince Prospero is locked away in his abbey, hiding from a plague called the Red Death. He throws a masquerade ball in seven rooms—each decorated in a different hue—which is ultimately interrupted by an ominous figure that wends its way through the colorful rooms, scaring partygoers, and leaving them dead in its wake. The spatial and conceptual aesthetic of bizarre tones from the story fit perfectly with Ishino’s body of work, which includes photographs taken over the last five years, all with various representations of the color red.
“Fumi’s work was meant to function as a group as opposed to the single image,” says Ashcom. “You’re not going to have a full experience if you only see one piece. I think it’s ambitious to work that way with photographs.” The exhibition utilizes space and light as a medium of its own to create a tangible atmosphere of unsettling bizarreness, where the familiar becomes peculiar and there’s a sensation of monitoring and being monitored. A strong red light makes it feel like you’re underwater, and is used to illuminate specific aspects of the environment, giving viewers a constantly shifting perception of the space and work. “I want them to feel a sense of displacement and consider what displacement means and how it impacts society,” says Ishino.
“The color red carries diverse and often contradictory meanings,” says Ishino. A photograph of a jungle gym contrasts vivid hues of red with stark shadows. “It’s a spot once associated with safety, social, and physical well-being. With a shift in perspective the spot can be viewed as dangerous, a place where injury or sickness may occur.” In another photograph captured near the red-light district in Shinjuku, a town in Tokyo, a glistening maraschino cherry sits suspended in ice in a parfait glass. The images pose questions of perception and representation. Space and time are jumbled—the color red an unreliable yet constant presence, sometimes representing danger or safety, exclusion or rejection, regulation or freedom. You’ll really just have to see it for yourself.—Maeve Hayden
March Shows
Artistic Remedies for Creative Hearts 8767 Seminole Tr., Suite 101, Ruckersville. “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” features work from ARCH members and “A Collection of Words as Pictures” showcases works by Rodrick Rhodes. Opens March 5.
Atlas Coffee 2206 Fontaine Ave. Paintings by Kris Bowmaster and Nat Rogers. Through March 31.
Baker Gallery Woodberry Forest School, 898 Woodberry Forest Rd. “From the Moment” features new paintings by Darrell Rose. Through March 5.
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative 209 Monticello Rd. “Inherited Innocence” by JaVori Warren and Megan Richards uses abstraction, violence, and the distortion of forms and bodily symbols as a way to explore both politicized limitations and expansive possibilities of the body. First Friday event March 4.
The Center at Belvedere 540 Belvedere Blvd. “Black and White” highlights work from 16 artists in a variety of mediums, including calligraphy, graphite, intaglio prints, acrylic, and fiber. First Friday event March 4.
Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. “Stillness” features graphite renderings from Ana Marie Liddell and Fran Smith interpreting the meaning of the word. First Friday event March 4.
CoArt Gallery 22 W. Beverley St., Staunton. “Inflorescence,” florals in oil by Katharine B. March, and a spring-cleaning studio sale. Through March 31, and March 25-27, respectively.
Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd. “Adventures in Paper Art,” free hanging paper wall art pieces and one-of-a-kind wooden lamps with paper shades by Cyndi Mylynne. “Evolving Vessels,” pottery by Wendy Werstlein. Through March 31. Meet the artists at 1pm on March 12.
Crozet Library 2020 Library Ave., Crozet. Paintings by Shveta Karmankar.
C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Functional Woodworking” features home and office accessories handcrafted from local woods by Alex Pettigrew. First Friday event March 4.
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. “Memory Quilts” displays nine quilts by Deloris Thomas that explore the relationship between color and form and utilize old patterns, some associated with the Underground Railroad. “Picturing Climate Justice” features photographs, artwork, and maps alongside interactive data tools to shed light on the nature of climate injustice in our region. Open March 5 and 12, respectively.
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection 400 Worrell Dr. “Irrititja Kuwarri Tjungu |(Past & Present Together)” features works from Papunya Tula artists from 1996 to 2021. Opens March 17.
Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “Turn on the Light!” is a memorial show in honor of Lyn Bolen Warren. The group exhibition features light-filled and Warren-inspired work from artists she represented throughout her career. Opens March 5.
Live Arts 123 E. Water St. Figurative paintings by Eileen French. Through March 31.
The Local 824 Hinton Ave. New works in oils by Kris Bowmaster. Through April 18.
McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In the Smith Gallery, “Waxing Poetic: Encaustic Art.” On the first floor, “Presenting Bozart Fine Art Collective” features the latest paintings and photography from 13 artists. On the second floor, works by Roberto Kamide. First Friday event March 4.
New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. “Delights:Disparities—a spectrum of life lived in the meantime,” a solo exhibition by Jess Walters. First Friday event March 4.
Northside Library 705 Rio Rd. In the lobby, abstract acrylic paintings by Hannah Franke-Fuller. In the Quiet Room, watercolors by Susan Landes.
PVCC Gallery 501 College Dr. In the North and South Galleries, “These Memories Can’t Wait,” lifetime artworks by former visual arts department chairperson Beryl Solla. As a nod to her passion for sharing and democratizing art, husband James Yates has lent a selection of tiles Solla had prepared for future projects. Part of a “make it” table, attendees are invited to create their own piece of art, using Solla’s ingredients. Through March 26.
Quirk Gallery 499 W. Main St. Mary Holland’s “Compositions in Blue: Cyanotypes” and Priscilla Whitlock’s “Eden.” Through March 27.
The Ruffin Gallery 179 Culbreth Rd. “I will never get tired and you will never get tired of me” by James Scheuren. Through March 25.
Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. In the Main Gallery, “A Suh Wi Dweet,” mixed-media works by Stuart Robertson. In the Dové Gallery, “Ghana to Gullah,” photography by Marley Nichelle. Through March 25.
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital 500 Martha Jefferson Dr. In the second floor Lab hall, paintings by Randy Baskerville. Through April.
Shenandoah Valley Art Center 126 S. Wayne Ave., Waynesboro. In the Invitational Gallery, the 10th Annual “40UNDER40” exhibition, featuring 40 works from Virginia artists aged 40 and under. In the Member’s Gallery, “Pink,” works by SVAC members in a variety of mediums. Through March 26.
Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “We are our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams” features works by the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective as part of the Prolyfyck Exhibition Series. First Friday event March 4.
Vault Virginia 300 E. Main St. “Nature, Us, and The Future,” a female artists’ group exhibition. First Friday event March 4.
Visible Records 1740 Broadway St. “On the Palette of Scarlet,” photographs by Fumi Ishino. Through April 15.
Edit: A previous version of this article previously misstated Visible Records’ name as Visual Records