the body eclectic at lawrence street gallery
Lawrence Street Gallery has one of the few competitions that focuses on the human body. There are several artists who presented well-executed work in this genre.
Lawrence Sekulich’s Red, White and the Blues color block composition is striking as the band of fire engine red will not be ignored. This style flows into the face in soft but clean lines and shapes. His subject leans into the red, eyes closed, conceding to sadness. This picture has a lot to say for such a small piece.
Miranda Lehl’s entry is a loose, expressive interpretation of the more traditional figurative image. The color wash lays under an initial pencil drawing that when inked didn’t lose its freshness. A bar of transparent raw sienna keeps the figure from floating in space.
The subject in Feeling Equal (Human) looks directly at the viewer with a calmly confident gaze. Her flawlessly smooth skin contrasts with the explosion of color and mark in lieu of hair. The palette is soft. The message is not.
In a similar oeuvre to Mary Cassatt, Lesley Kutinsky paints personal scenes of daily life often using family as subjects. They are exceptionally rendered without getting too tight. The pictures can sometimes lean sentimental but are never static, capturing beauty in the everyday moments.
Artists have been depicting the figure since they picked up the first rudimentary tools and began to draw. It’s one of the hardest subjects to render because proportion, expression, foreshadowing, motion is a lot to address and get right. From Michelangelo and Raphael to Amy Sherald and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, our relationship with the body continues to evolve, finding new ways to express how we see ourselves on this human journey.
On view through February 25th at Lawrence Street Gallery 22620 Woodward Ferndale
*images are mine
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Brain Candy Monday Feb 21 only