You can find animals you can’t find at the zoo at a new art show.
Cortland-based artists and animal lovers Paul Kozlowski and Michelle LoGerfo opened their joint show Friday, “Featured Creatures,” at the Ake Gallery, 165 Main St. The show will be open for viewing 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Sunday, and then open during the gallery’s regular hours until Nov. 23.
LoGerfo’s work in the show includes weird mounted animal heads, unique depictions of forest animals and original creatures, like her maid-mer: a reverse mermaid with a goldfish torso and head, and human legs wearing fishnets stockings.
LoGerfo started drawing as a toddler, when her family moved to a Chenango County farmhouse with a lot of land, and cats, ducks, chickens, rabbits, calves and a pony from time to time.
She was drawn to drawing and painting animals. Bunnies, her go-to animal, are part of her stream of consciousness while painting, she said.
“Growing up in the country far from town, animals were my closest companions,” LoGerfo said. “Although I wasn’t happy about it then, not having cable television as a child made art my favorite pastime.”
Her favorite piece in the show, “Saint Bunniventure,” features a rabbit that “practically painted itself,” she said, in a rustic Gothic arch frame. A new work of hers, “Foxy,” depicts a fox in black boots and gloves, spritzing herself with perfume.
“She has the attitude and confidence I wish I had,” LoGerfo said.
Her collection “Gerf’s Bitty Critters” consists of $20 paintings of only a few square inches, featuring subjects such as a cockroach celebrating his birthday and an ant with gasoline and a torch.
Paul Kozlowski, the other featured artist, opened the Ake Gallery two years ago. “Featured Creatures” is part of the anniversary celebration – a series of events celebrating what the gallery was made for: art, comedy, film and music.
Kozlowski always has animals around him. While he is always seen with his dog, Puppy, he used to have a pack of stray dogs.
“When you’re walking nine dogs, the stray ones come up to you because they see you as a mark,” he said. “You can’t make eye contact.”
For this show, he built a dog out of furniture parts. A bug made of typewriter parts is also for sale.
“It was one of the first things I ever made,” Kozlowski said. “I found a typewriter in New York City thrown into a curb, and I went home and took every piece apart and laid it all on my floor because I didn’t have a lot of furniture. I noticed that there were elements that looked like a spine and gangly legs, and the part where the striker hits the typewriter ribbon looks like mandibles, so I built a typewriter bug.”
His series “Dogs of the World” and “Fish of the World” will also be for sale.
“Animals are a lot of fun,” he said. “I think a lot of it was Michelle’s influence. I got tired of making people. It’s easier to make animals.”
“They’re fun to anthropomorphize, and that makes them an infinite well of inspiration,” LoGerfo said. “I like to think that each work tells a very short story – often endearing with a smidge of darkness.”
