When Dan Coffield decided to name his printmaking exhibit First Impressions he used the line, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” originally from Will Rogers or maybe Oscar Wilde or possibly Mark Twain. No matter whose quote, it’s good advice.

It’s also a good thing to keep in mind when installing a gallery show – the initial look of the overall space is as important as the individual elements. Dan did a fine job selecting the artists and arranging all of the printmakers work – the fine review from Dorothy Shinn in the Akron Beacon Journal was well deserved:

“It was important for me to make sure that First Impressions showed how versatile, flexible and creative printmakers really are,” Coffield said.

He has done an excellent job at that. From Joan Colbert’s meticulous notations on her “mnemonic” aphorisms, to Pamela Testa’s demonstration of how she went about printing the American Elm in Relief, to Charles Beneke’s essay on global warming, we are given key insights into the mind of the contemporary printer.”

On a personal note, I couldn’t be more pleased with the commentary on my work:

“Colbert, whose work is as always clear-eyed as well as deceptively charming, offers us a means to an end.

She writes: “There’s a bit of whimsy in this mnemonic of the symptoms that, in combination, could indicate an atropine overdose — possibly the effects of ingesting poisonous members of the Nightshade family.”

The mnemonic happens to be the titles of her prints: Hot as a Hare, Blind as a Bat, Dry as a Bone, Red as a Beet and Mad as a Hatter. Each is done as a linocut block print, and consists of wonderfully drawn and printed images of the titular object.”

Dorothy Shinn writes about art and architecture for the Akron Beacon Journal. The full review, accompanied by images, can be read here.