“Confabulations: Art as Storytelling,” the current show at the Edgewood Gallery, focuses predominantly on storytelling through art, on the paths followed by a trio of local artists. It encompasses both Dan Shanahan’s fantasy-based watercolors and Dan Bacich’s asemblages of found objects which explore a range of themes, with some of them drawing on literature. And the exhibit also presents a selection of Deborah Rogers’ mixed-media jewelry.First, the exhibition deals with one aspect of Shanahan’s portfolio. He also does portraits and paintings depicting local streets and buildings. At Edgewood, however, his works introduce a cast of characters, many of which are seen in whimsical situations.In “Motor City Missy Prequel,” for example, Missy careens down the street in a motorcycle, driving by imaginary stores with name such as Minty and Fresh Crackers Market.A second artwork, “Dog Star Disco,” portrays a club sometime in the future. It’s full of dancers in spacesuits. Apparently disco has a future beyond planet earth.In the same vein, “Space Continuum” details a nightclub where the primary characters glide through the air.Another piece is also futuristic but with a bite. In an office, people sit at desks working at computers while robots stand near-by waiting to fill in if an employee is fired. Although the watercolor is satiric, it does reference a debate about the impact of robots in the workplace.Some of Shanahan’s other artworks have the tone of classic folk tales; they express both fantasy and a sense of dread.“King Smess” depicts a board game between a king and a little girl. The stakes are quite high, as her brother is confined in a cage hanging from a high ceiling. A bevy of creatures look on — mostly animals in human clothing.And in the work titled “Haunted House,” a little boy and his pug dog have sought refuge in a scary dwelling. On a staircase, a group of nightmarish figures observe the proceedings.Some of the pieces contrast with each other. There’s a fantasy scene in which a dragon flies not far above street level. It’s juxtaposed with an artwork portraying a setting very much like South Salina Street. There an artist sitting in a chair paints a portrait while people crowd around him.In addition, the show displays 14 of Bacich’s assemblages, generally small boxes containing found objects that the artist has rearranged to express a narrative.“Homo Ludens,” a Latin expression that loosely translates to man playing, incorporates several objects: a toy soldier, a basketball player and a soccer competitor, and a circular form suggesting a ball.And in “Lot’s Wife,” a tiny figure looks at a bowl. Here Bacich is referencing the story of Lot’s wife whose name isn’t mentioned in the Christian Bible. She, Lot and their children flee as God unleashes a wave of destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah. The wife is warned not to look back but disobeys the command and is turned into a pillar of salt.This is just one of several assemblages referring to either religion or literature. One work cites a T.S. Eliot poem, ” The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prurock,” depicting several characters mentioned in the poem.“Dance Macabre,” meanwhile, depicts a tiny ballerina and refers to “Swan Lake.” The title for this piece seems to evoke a dance of death performed in medieval Europe during plague times.Moreover, “Agent Orange” focuses on the U.S. Military’s use of a toxic herbicide mix in Vietnam. That resulted in significant environmental damage, in birth defects for Vietnamese children and negative health outcomes for adults, in enhanced rates of bladder cancer, leukemia and other diseases for U.S. veterans.The assemblage integrates a palm tree, birds, a toy soldier and a tool that looks like a scythe.There are also a few works where Bacich pursues a different creative direction. “Sunflower” is bold, colorful and far larger than the other assemblages. It features a long panel set-up and circular objects.Finally, the exhibition presents Rogers’ jewelry including necklaces, earrings and other pieces. She works with glass beads and a variety of stones and metals. This isn’t the first time she’s shown her work at Edgewood. In the past, her landscape paintings and mixed-media collages were displayed at the gallery. “Confabulations” finishes its run at the Edgewood Gallery on Sept. 27. The venue, at 216 Tecumseh Rd., open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, access edgewoodartandframe. com or call 315-445-8111.The post ‘Confabulations’ at Edgewood highlights works by a trio of local artists appeared first on Central Current.