Art Shows

I preferred the opening at the University of Memphis to the Davis Lusk show. The artists at David Lusk were not connected at all visually or otherwise, while the artists at U of M, Richard Knowles and Steve Langdon shared history and their work meshed well together. I especially enjoyed Richard Knowles’ work, particularly the earlier paintings from the 1970’s. There is an amazing variety of brushwork and the color schemes and compositions were well thought out. It was interesting to see a certain visual language carry throughout his work; even though more than 40 years were spanned. Mark making in the abstract pieces carried over to the water pieces as well as the landscapes. I didn’t enjoy Steve Langdon’s work quite as much, but the graphite drawing were intriguing as I fell so few people work in that way with it, there was not a smudge or grease spot anywhere. They did get a bit repetitive for me, though. Except for the dead cat drawings, those were really clever.

At David Lusk, Wayne Edge has the front room. He is a sculptor working with wood, found ceramics, string and rocks. I found the work to be too concerned with aesthetic. I found the repetition of the house form and landscape redundant, too obvious a choice. I did enjoy Ann Siems’ paintings, though the pieces on paper seemed like they needed more effort. I love the strange ghost girls and the wreaths in each painting. The one aspect that was bothering me was technique, the figures seemed like they were between being rendered very well and being rendered awkwardly, I wish they were pushed one way or another.