Kevin Kinkead – Gayle Wells Mandle
Gretchen Dow Simpson – Mark Webber
Deconstruction by Gayle Wells Mandle
When I first walked into the Mahady Gallery, I was astounded by Gretchen Dow Simpson’s work. In her fruit paintings she has a great direction of light that make her works look very realistic. Simpson also has a work of art that was made around the perspective of stairs, but in sets. I found this very interesting, because they used the same color palette yet had different styles to them, adding variety. In her colophon, she states “This body of work was the result of an emotional disturbance in my life.”
Mark Webber’s work continues to impress me. As a teacher at Marywood, his number one concern is always to have a good composition, which he portrays very well throughout his paintings. His color palette is filled cool tones, and I find his work interesting because his subjects depict everyday activities and have a presence with simplicity.
Kevin Kinkead’s work to me is drastically different from the other artists in this show. His work is simple, and has a smooth style to it. Pale colors are apparent, almost washed out, but since the style of work was so simple, they create a sense of unity.
Lastly, Gayle Wells Mandle’s work is very hectic and collage-like, and she works with bold complementary colors. I would describe it as messy yet organized with good composition. I also find the pieces of newspaper embedded in her works to be a nice surprise element, adding to the creative aspect of her work. Line is a strong aspect throughout every artist’s work, yet specifically in Mandle’s along with the subtle drips of paint.
The Narratives Seen exhibit will be on dispaly in the Mahady Gallery, Shields Center for Visual Arts, Marywood University, through April 3, 2016. There will also be a gallery talk on March 30th at 3 pm given by Mark Webber.
