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Ramsey shares whimsical world in ‘Wiggily’
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7/10/2007  Many young imaginations are cultivated from reading literature, and people often remember the first stories that captured their hearts. Such is the case with Savannah College of Art and Design foundation studies professor Steven Ramsey, who uniquely recalls Howard Garris’ Uncle Wiggily series in “Wiggily,” on display at Hall Street Gallery, 212 W. Hall St., through July 24.Ramsey was inspired by the end of each chapter of the Uncle Wiggily serials, where Garris wrote a fantastic and impossible teaser for the next adventure. “These teasers struck a resonance with me that summarized many of the elements that have been constant interests in my personal aesthetic: the fantastic, the surreal, the narrative, the nostalgic, the metaphor and the absurd,” said Ramsey. He explained that Uncle Wiggily, an elderly rabbit afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis, first appeared as a story character in newspaper serials of the early 1900s. He became a popular character who eventually figured in books, board games and other merchandise. In his exhibition, Ramsey reappropriates the imagery into glass sculpture and illustrations. “I rediscovered this character during a search for early narrative influences — stories I did not directly recall but recognize as familiar, works that were read to me rather than those works through which I learned to read,” said Ramsey. His other inspirations included rebus books, visual puzzles combining images and text, Grimms’ fairy tales and more typical childhood fare from the early 20th century, which contribute to the aesthetic and whimsical nature of the work on display. “The purpose of my research is … to better understand what relevance these sources have had in the development of my personal artistic vision, to understand the origin and importance of the core themes in my work. This research was to help isolate that which is pertinent, eliminates the superfluous to focus and direct the concepts and themes to clarify my core aesthetic,” said Ramsey in his artist statement. As he explores the themes surrounding the Wiggily series, he focuses not merely on the illustrative, but aims to illuminate the variety of ways in which a person may interpret imagery, metaphor and the narrative as a whole. Ramsey’s focus is bringing unique meaning to the work, while inviting viewers to participate in his journey. Article by Ally Hughes
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