[Newspoetry] art review

[bethany r cooper]

A little something from the Arts and Letters Section:
(there are three illustrations to go with this)

 Art Exhibit  Derivative, Amateurish

Art collectors who want an alternative to the downtown gallery scene may
feel tempted to peruse The Kreative Kiddies! exhibit on display this week
at Centre-Gate Mall, (a collection of drawings, paintings, and sculpture
from a diverse group of young artists just coming on to the scene).
However, the serious collector will surely be disappointed by what is,
overall, a show of derivative, slap-dash works.

Take For Daddy  by Sara Hutchins (b. 1996), an ink-rendered pastorale in a
neo-primitive style. It shows a fine sense of balance and an interesting
use of line, but the hackneyed subject matter keeps it from being of any
real interest. In the same category were the neo-primitive ink drawings of
William "Billy" Lee (b. 1997) such as A Monster Eated a Ttruck (pictured
below).  With nods to Twombly and  de Kooning, Lee's work also showed
potential, but ultimately  the masterful techniques failed to compensate
for the lack of relevant content.

Mikey Wurzer's (b. 1995) aptly titled Fireman is perhaps one of the
stronger works in the show.  Another neo-primitive piece, done in ink and
crayon (a popular medium in this circle), it juxtaposes text with image,
highlighting the interplay between name and object (even evoking a
political subtext:  the word scrawled across the top is either 'fireman'
or 'freman'/'free man').  The use of imprecisely applied bright color is
the motif that holds the work together.

In the sculpture category, one standout piece is a neo-primitive mixed
media work by Jamal Hunter (b. 1995) entitled Tiger. Largely a mass of
popsicle-sticks and dried macaroni pasta glazed with orange tempera, it is
definitely the strongest three-dimensional work in the show, evoking a
fragmented vision of its subject while achieving a refreshing playfulness
of form.

All in all, there were some interesting pieces, but let the buyer beware:
while the artwork in the show might be cheap--even free-- ultimately,
these are no bargains.