Review of: Visual Expression

I had the opportunity to view the art exhibit at the Fort McMurray Public Library at Mac Island. The show ran until Sunday July 25th, 2010. It was an absolute pleasure to go to newly renovated Mac Island to see all the improvements. This facility has already proven to such an asset in the arts and culture communities in the Wood Buffalo region. The art exhibit is located on the second floor of the library. There are four artists that took part in this exhibit.

There were four artists that took part in the exhibition, Lisa Carlson, Margaret Sonnenberg, Treasure Cooper and Ronil Patel. The exhibition showcased a variety of mediums, and styles. There was little thematic or stylistic cohesion to the exhibition as a whole, however in this setting it wasn’t a necessary factor for the success of this showing.

Above: Work by Lisa Carlson

I was drawn to the Carlson collages when I first arrived. I was intrigued by how such intricate pieces came from the original form of magazine pages. Lisa’s love of pattern and color that was apparent when viewing the three pieces that were being showcased. Carlson gives her works a feeling of being painted, unifying each body, shape or colour as if it were a brush stoke.

Above: Work by Margaret Sonnenberg

Margaret Sonnenberg added four pieces in this exhibition. I found the facial expression in her portrait Do You See Me to emphasize feelings of hardship and anguish. She uses very daring lines and colors that give each piece a harsh beauty. She also featured landscapes in her selection that were quite whimsical.

Above: A work by Treasure Cooper

Treasure Cooper works were vibrant and bold. The detail that she used in her facial features made the painting seem photographic. Treasure’s inclusion of abstraction added an interesting edge to her portraiture.

Above work by: Ron Patel

Ron Patel is an up and coming young artist; his works consist of acrylic paintings that show reference to various deities. His works also featured a number of sketches that were well done. Ron is ten years old and I feel that his potential is endless.

Cheers,
Shauna Gale-Colbert