Michele Guieu Takes Command of The Art Produce Gallery by Katherine Sweetman

I am thrilled that Katherine Sweetman wrote a review about "Lucy, Darwin and Me", which was just published on the SDVAN website. The show has been an amazing journey and this review is a beautiful conclusion.



Michele Guieu Takes Command of The Art Produce Gallery
by Katherine Sweetman

Lucy, Darwin and Me was an extremely well designed, multi-layered, and engaging show that took over the Art Produce Gallery from December12th to January 24th. On January 9 th, the artist, Michele Guieu, gave an informal talk and explained the show, her impetus for creating the work, and some of her relevant background -- like the fact that her father is a geologist, her mother is a biologist, and her family lived, for a while, in Africa.

The overall design of the show was flawless. As a former professional graphic designer, Michele Guieu utilized her knowledge of layout, craft, and presentation to shape the bizarre physical space of the Art Produce Gallery (a large storefront with a small backroom) into an exceptional exhibition. In a statement on the piece, Guieu described the show as having a “museum-like ambience,” and although the show demonstrated qualities of a more permanent, natural-history museum show, there was something much deeper, personal, and intense that occurred in this work. It was the opposite of most gallery exhibitions in which a series of objects are relocated to any space for a given duration where they will hopefully be sold. This show was specifically created for this space and the multiple audiences that came in contact with the work. Also the work was essentially destroyed when the show ended. The major hub of the piece, the mural, was painted over and only pieces were salvaged.

read more