By Carolyn DeMeritt and Pinky/MM Bass
Hardback; $59
Genre: Art/Photography
Reviewed by Ray Wetzel
While Entwined is a book for lovers of contemporary art, it is more than decoration for your coffee table. The collection of images, taken by photographer Carolyn DeMeritt of model and collaborator Pinky Bass, does much more than offer lip service and platitudes to try to sell you on a specific thought about a work. This book is a true work of art,
At first glance, the black and white images in Entwined may appear to be a commentary on aging. But if you really look and spend time with the book, it reveals the beauty and complexity of the human body represented in a way I have rarely seen. From image to image, a narrative structure of time and personal loss unfolds, underlined by powerful feminine energy and resilience.
The layout of this book is impressive, folding out into two sections revealing exposed stitching that brilliantly separates word from image. At a passing glance, it is easy to miss that the overlapping color in some images is actual hand stitching done on a photo print by artist/model Pinky Bass. It is not a digital overlay presented for the book.
For someone picking up the book for the first time, I suggest going through the images before delving into the text that accompanies the body of work, including both the scholarly essay and the conversation between two friends and colleagues. The essay, by Dr. Susan Richmond, an art historian and feminist scholar, is insightful and helps enhance the readers’ experience whether they are new to contemporary art or an expert on the subject. Following Dr. Richmond’s essay is a conversation between artist Doug Baulos and copywriter Patrick Saleeby. Both of these men have had long professional relationships and friendships with DeMeritt and Bass. The conversation is the main reason I suggest you look through the images before you start reading. First see the work by DeMeritt and Bass, two professionals who take their work very seriously and who make themselves vulnerable by exposing human physicality while letting go of changes outside of their control. Then read the conversation by Saleeby and Baulos to see the lighter side of two incredible artists who in person and in their work are a gift to the world.
Carolyn DeMeritt is a native of South Carolina. Pinky Bass was born in Pennsylvania and is a citizen of the world, spending extensive time in Mexico, but more important to me is that she is a long-term resident of Fairhope, Alabama. Both of these artists are at the top of their field and this book is proof of a long fruitful collaboration. Finally, for collectors all books are editioned.
Ray Wetzel is an independent studio artist, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from Jacksonville State University. He coordinated the Hammond Hall gallery at Jacksonville State University, where he established a student gallery, and is the director/curator of the Gadsden Museum of Art.
