Dean Snyder

Here’s my review of RISD sculpture department chief Dean Snyder’s exhibit at Providence’s Wheeler Gallery. The most fascinating pieces are a pair of boulders made from epoxy composite and coated with sparkly automotive paint. I feel like they’re not quite there yet, but they seem like gonzo Chinese “scholar’s rocks.” As I rambled: “Snyder’s glittery boulders, contrasting ancient rocky forms and manufactured plastic razzle-dazzle, wave in the direction of a pop culture sublime.” The combo of rock and eight balls, as seen here in “Da_Nazz_z” (beatnik slang for Jesus), is wicked cheesy – which is part problem, part triumph. He’s onto something.

Dean Snyder, Wheeler Gallery, 228 Angell St., Providence, March 30 to April 19, 2007.