On Saturday, May 18, Ossabaw Outtakes, a collaborative show by Joy Dunigan and Peter E. Roberts will open at Location Gallery located at 251 Bull Street (inside the real estate offices of Corcoran Austin Hill Realty) in Savannah, GA. An opening reception will be held from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. with proceeds benefitting The Ossabaw Island Foundation.
Through the creative and bold work of Dunigan and Roberts, we gain new perspectives on Georgia’s first heritage preserve, Ossabaw Island. A place that possesses an inherent magic needs little embellishment in its depictions, however both artists have collectively given us fresh interpretations incorporating rich colors and textures, that pulsate.
In addition to both having a lengthy relationship with the island, their shared backgrounds in the trades of illustration, media, and design are pronounced in these works. In the artist’s collaborative effort, they both unknowingly gravitated towards the popular colorways of the late 70’s and early 80’s – a roller disco nod to the era in which the Genesis Project, an artist residency on Ossabaw Island, was facilitated by the late Sandy Torrey-West.
Dunigan mined an archive of photographic images taken over the last 14 years, here we see a few of her ‘greatest hits’ and the ‘deep cuts’. These are moments, time indefinite, captured in her curious explorations that reveal Sandy’s narrative of her carefully shared island. Her illumination of the images with saturated earth tones and astrobrights makes it easy to feel the peculiar current of energy that the island induces when you set foot on its ground. She has expertly applied the design-savvy technique of beautifully balanced duotones and alternating defined fields of color that transform the traditional photograph into chic mixed media works that come alive and unite.
Rubber Ducky, You’re The One by Joy Dunigan
Mixed Media, 6x6 w/ 4x4 epoxy inset, duotone archival pigment print, framed
“About a year ago, I remember speaking with Robin Gunn at The Ossabaw Island Foundation about how many images I had from my many treasured visits to the island. This sparked the idea for the project. I soon approached Peter about it, and we were both totally into it from the get-go. I whittled down a collection of over 175+ images to 28,” says Joy. “Each image has a story of its own. Some images have never been seen before, while others have been published and are personal favorites for one reason or another.”
“In particular, the one of the very cool, rubber ducky. I have returned so many times to the fountain behind Ms. Sandy’s home just to see him. He was always there… a welcomed sight every time and just as cool ever. But on my last visit, myself and fellow board member Lisa White went to go and see him, and he was gone. I suppose we should have reported a kidnapping, but we didn’t. I mean, why would he leave his lovely little fountain, right? We looked around for him. We’re not sure where he went or if he’ll return, but it’s these happy, little unexpected things on the island that make it just wonderful. Just like its exterior, the interior of the island is changing and evolving with time. It’s what keeps me forever engaged as an artist with the island.”
The self-described serial artist, Roberts has created sharp and inventive interpretations of Ossabaw. Roberts’ outtakes are a departure from the aesthetic we are familiar with when we think of depictions of our coastlines. Focused on icons of an ecosystem, Roberts lends his brand of pop retro magic to the island’s wildlife, undulating alligators, horseshoe crabs, visually moving forward and backward. His play on terms of venerery as inspiration bears the hallmark of his distinctive wit and humor that inspires the viewer to pause and muse. Brilliantly, these works communicate the distinctive and smart correlation between the image and the literal word.
From the left to the right: Seagull Flock by Peter E. Roberts (paper cut-assemblage), ‘VW’ by Joy Dunigan (mixed media)
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Joy Dunigan is graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design, Joy is also the owner of the Photopoint Gallery in Richmond Hill, Georgia, and a member of the KOBO Gallery Artist Cooperative. She has participated in several group exhibitions at the Photopoint Gallery and Arts on The Coast Gallery (Richmond Hill, Ga.), SouthxSoutheast Gallery (Modena, Ga), ArtFields (Lake City, S.C.), and the Location Gallery, Sulfur Studios and Telfair Museums (Savannah, Ga.). She is an active board member with the Ossabaw Island Foundation, Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity, The Savannah Traffic Club and Arts on the Coast. Joy is also owner and principal creative at JOY Marketing. To learn more, visit joydunigan.com.
Peter E. Roberts is graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in Video Production. Peter is also the Gallery Director of Location Gallery and was voted Runner-Up Best Artist by Savannah Magazine readers in 2023. He has had solo shows at the Drive Thru Art Box, Location Gallery, Savannah LGBT Center (Savannah, GA) Blackbird Gallery (NYC, NY) StudioSeshArts (Islamorada, FL) and 612OKC (Oklahoma City, OK). He has participated in several group exhibitions at Location Gallery, Savannah LGBT Center, Sulfur Studios, Gallery 2424, ArtStryngs Gallery, Telfair Museums, Jepson Center for the Arts (Savannah, GA) Photopoint Gallery (Richmond Hill, GA), Blackbird Gallery (NYC, NY) StudioSeshArts (Islamorada, FL) and the Mize Gallery (St. Petersburg, FL).
ABOUT THE OSSABAW ISLAND FOUNDATION
At approximately 26,000 acres, Ossabaw Island is Georgia’s third largest barrier island, located 30 minutes south of Savannah on the Atlantic coast. Nearly 9,000 acres are high ground; the remainder are tidal wetlands. The island is roughly ten miles long and 7 miles wide at its widest point. Ossabaw is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east; the Bear River/ Florida Passage of the Intracoastal Waterway to the west; the Ogeechee River/Ossabaw Sound to the north; and, St. Catherine’s Sound to the south.
Ossabaw Island is a Heritage Preserve owned by the State of Georgia. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the island and the Ossabaw Island Foundation maintains several island buildings and coordinates on-island programming. Learn more at www.ossabawisland.org.