Pictures worth 1,000 laughs

There’s funny strange and there’s funny ha-ha. "Too Funny for Words: Art That Tickles the Funny Bone," a national juried exhibition at the ArtForms Gallery in Manayunk, provides some of each, with a dash of the ribald and a sprinkle of sardonic humor. Did anyone say "irreverent?"

What’s not to be expected when the juror is the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s nationally known editorial cartoonist, Tony Auth? The exhibit of some 30 mixed-media pieces features work guaranteed to strike a smirk, smile, sneer or snicker. Several brought out belly laughs and one, the first-prize winner, prompted a "Holy shucks!" That piece is titled Projectile Dysfunction. Let’s just leave it at that.

Visual humor is definitely in the eye of the beholder and definitely hard to identify correctly all the time. Auth, a Pulitzer Prize winner, offers a basis to look at the show.

He writes: "Arnold Roth, the famous humorist, illustrator and Philadelphia native, once told me that humor is like a frog … you can dissect it, but something dies in the process. The best I can do in trying to explain why something strikes me as funny is to say that there is always some unexpected twist; some juxtaposition of words or images that is surprising, unpredictable … and funny.

"Humor is rebellious and liberating. It represents the triumph of the human spirit in the face of very long odds. Enough dissection! Enjoy the show."

The show runs through March 28 and includes artists from around the country in a truly national exhibition. There are pieces from Arizona, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia, Indiana, California, Maryland, Louisiana, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina and New Jersey. Almost all the pieces are for sale and range from $29.95 to $5,200.

One is struck by the overall craftsmanship of the work. Pieces that don’t particularly appeal are nevertheless well constructed. In general, the exhibition represents a younger generation of artists who are technically well trained if not particularly inspired.

The ArtForms Gallery itself com-ments on two of the works: "You’d expect to see a painting of The Last Supper in an art gallery, but what about Philadelphian Nick D’Angelo’s The Fast Supper, where the table is littered with McDonald’s and KFC containers? Or how about underwear made from mousetraps? This is Massachusetts native Rob Millard-Mendez’s sculptural contribution, Briefs with Built-In Negative Reinforcements."

A South Philadelphian, Holly E. Smith, is represented with two works, one a sculptural work of papier-m�ch� and the second in pen and ink.

The wall-hanging sculpture reminds one of a certain charming lizard that represents an automobile insurance company in TV commercials. For whatever reason, just looking at Wallflower brings a silly smile.

The pen and ink is Wild Boar II, crashing and trashing. The pig wears a face reflecting both wildness and a bit of shame at having so damn much fun. The pig reminds me of my family dog, a Morris Animal Refuge special mutt. Daisy often runs around in circular delight, flat to the ground with eyes blazing upwards under her lids.

All in all, the show is for those young at heart and with joy in their hearts, since that youth and joyfulness will definitely come out. If you are a curmudgeon and/or critic, you might do well to park your attitude outside. m

Too Funny for Words:
Art That Tickles the Funny Bone
Through March 28
ArtForms Gallery
106 Levering St., Manayunk
215-483-3030
www.artforms.org