PhillySound: new poetry

This weekend's opening of Comicology: The New Magical Real at the Slought Foundation was an interesting tonal change from some of the bigger shows I’ve seen there recently. Its lower-key presentation is perfect for the requirements of time & attention each artist’s presentation demands. I didn’t grow up as much of comics-nerd. I’m a late-believer in the power of comic art, converted in part by the CHAIN issue a few years ago, edited by Gary Sullivan. So maybe my approach is different than a lot of the other attendees, but I really appreciated the time I had to read & study the work on the walls. The generational diversity reveals itself as a subtle exposition of influence. You can see how the work of Kim Deitsch and Philadelphia legend Charles Burns informs the younger artists also included. I’ve been a fan of Charles Burns’ heavy black line for a while. But it was a real treat to get turned onto Dame Marcy’s Victorian punkish notebook lyric scrawl. Anders Nilsen steals the show with excerpts from his Beuysian Dogs & Water series.

The exhibition will run until October 22.

- Frank Sherlock