The first show we attended was Xylor Jane’s show 3Lakes. The presented work was very striking to me, the artist’s use of vibrant color and numbers drew my attention to the work. Initially, I was unsure what was the artist’s intention, but the work was making me feel overwhelmed and uneasy. After reading the artist’s statement, I found that they intended to mark time in a way. This was successfully done as I found that I spent a lot of time observing his colors, use of texture, the use of different numbers and shapes.
The next show we attended was Lilly van der Stokker’s Exhibition of the Medicines. The playfulness and the childish aspect that the art carried was very refreshing. It almost felt to me as though it were a statement to artists, art does not have to be so serious. The artist’s subject matter was medicine and illness, yet she juxtaposed that with the use of children’s drawings and handwriting. This juxtaposition alongside the enlarged scales of some of the art draws further emphasis on her statement.
Egan Frantz’s show featured a variety of abstract paintings on a rather large scale. Such paintings are a result of the artist’s experimentation and the use of unconventional techniques. Though unintentional, the work remained familiar to me. This highlights the artist’s possible intention of highlighting the mind’s conscious and unconscious decisions. The work features both elements that are calculated and elements that cooer to be accidental.
The final show, Micheal Brown’s, was definitely my favorite. Despite working on the 2D painting, his work exhibits a sculptural quality which I found to be very intriguing. This element of his work draws the viewer to look closer at the paintings. The artist’s intention could be creating a tense mood as it invites the viewer closer to the pattern, eventually engulfing the viewer into a black web.
What I noticed in all of the aforementioned works was the artist’s different approaches to form. Xylor Jane was able to create form through the use of textured paint on canvas. Much like Jane, Micheal Brown also created form through the use of textured paint. On the other hand, Egan Frantz favored flat 2D work that featured the use of geometric shapes. Much like him, Lilly van der Stokker also favored flat 2D work.
