Exhibition Review: Marybeth Rothman | Recent Observations & Conjectures Near Madaket Road
Sabine Buchard (Maestro)
Photo and pigmented beeswax combines on Kozo and wood panel.
36 x 24 x 1.5 in
(91.44 x 60.96 x 3.81 cm)
Marybeth Rothman
Written by Emily Ranieri
Copy Edited by Kee’nan Haggen
Photo Edited by Athena Abdien
The importance of reclaiming moments from erased history runs deeply through the work of Marybeth Rothman. As a mixed multimedia artist known for her fictional biographies and abstract art, Rothman describes her work as “reclaimed” and “reimagined.” Intrigued by the human need to “identify the other,” she gives voice to forgotten subjects through artistic and narrative considerations. Her award-winning work combines vintage orphaned photographs with modern digital art, reintroducing the forgotten through the means of contemporary work. The digital renditions of the original photographs give the viewer a chance to fully connect with the portrait while receiving a retelling of their stories.
Harmony and Grace
Edition 1/3
Archival Pigment Print
18 x 12 in
(45.72 x 30.48 cm)
Marybeth Rothman
From Harmony and Grace
Her latest solo exhibition, Marybeth Rothman: Recent Observations and Conjectures Near Madaket Road, will be displayed at Frederick Holmes and Company - Gallery of Modern & Contemporary Art in Seattle, Washington, from June 1 through July 4. The collection features Rothman’s signature repurposing of forsaken photographs; the portraits are overlaid with subtle yet profound digital layers and abstract drawings that divulge her subjects' fictional yet rich biographical content. Rothman’s upcoming show at Frederick Holmes and Company features pieces carefully created for this exhibition and her tremendously collected archival pigment prints.
Ruby's Daughter
Photo and pigmented beeswax combines on Kozo and wood panel.
18 x 18 x 2 in
(45.72 x 45.72 x 5.08 cm)
Marybeth Rothman
Rothman’s employment of color in her reclaimed portraits propels the original narrative forward while creating a fictional portrayal. The portrait “Akiko (Double Bass)” presents the story of a young Japanese woman; the original vintage photograph of Akiko has been overlaid with digital layers of bright blue and orange, connecting to Akiko’s meaning of “bright child.” Rothman’s captivating use of these warm and cold hues represents a sense of simultaneous emotional distance and closeness to Akiko, much like the emotional distance the viewer has from the historical person and the proximity to Rothman’s reimagined identification of them. Rothman’s fictional retelling of Akiko’s story subsequently allows the character to be identified by today’s viewers despite her historical erasure.
Bobbie
Photo and pigmented beeswax combines on Kozo and wood panel.
18 x 18 x 2 in
(45.72 x 45.72 x 5.08 cm)
Marybeth Rothman
The mystery surrounding the biographies of the people in the original photographs strikes audiences, but Rothman provides them clarity through fiction and imagination. The tandem images of “Leila May Marshall (Concertmaster)” and “James (Jimmy) Hillgardener (Double Bass)” reflect Leila and James’ individual masculine and feminine narratives while demonstrating immense cohesion. Both on horseback, the images mirror one another and are given the same digitally colored background by Rothman, reinforcing their working in tandem. However, Leila’s narrative demonstrates femininity and community, as her horse is overlaid with flowers, and community members are seen in the image's background. James’ narrative is one of isolation – the background is relatively barren, also represented by images of lone trees enveloping his horse.
The Falconi Twins (Second Violin, Principal Viola)
Photo and pigmented beeswax combines on Kozo and wood panel.
36 x 24 x 1.5 in
(91.44 x 60.96 x 3.81 cm)
Marybeth Rothman
Marybeth Rothman: Recent Observations and Conjectures Near Madaket Road invites viewers to connect with the abandoned figures of history in a contemporary context. By merging antiquity and modernity, Rothman gives significance to forgotten people and creates a fictional narrative for which the viewer identifies the subject. Her use of multimedia art repositions her work within a contemporary space, which she has also helped define.
