In many ways, the story of art in Kansas City is a familiar one – adventurous and untamed, with a rogue determination that lingers as a holdover from the days of the Wild West. Artists are trailblazers.
Norbert Prangenberg
COLOGNE, GERMANY Galerie Karsten Greve Nearly every top-heavy Figur sculpted by Norbert Prangenberg (1949– 2012) is reminiscent of an ancient amphora or pithos, although without the lid or twin handles. The rest of his symmetrical Figuren approximate modern barrels. We eventually realize that neither of his container types can hold liquid or grain, because they remain fundamentally un-reconstituted ropes of clay. The concentric coils were crudely kneaded into lengths up to 2.5 inches thick before being barely smoothed and vertically stacked.
Andy Moerlein and Donna Dodson
BOSTON Boston Sculptors Gallery Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein recently transformed Boston Sculptors Gallery into a new kind of Wonderland with their related shows, “Zodiac” and “Geology.” Dodson’s anthropomorphic deities, arranged in two circles, reference both Chinese and Western zodiac symbols. The archetypal figures emanate an extraordinary calm. Each takes a similar stolid stance yet clearly expresses her individuality.
J. Ma, C. Smith, C. Walker
MUNCIE, INDIANA David Owsley Museum of Art The three artists featured in this show come from different places – Jongil Ma from Korea (now living in New York), Christopher Smith from the U.S., and Corban Walker from Ireland – but they all share an interest in glass and Plexiglas. Curator Lisa Banner, a professor at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, exploited this commonality in two ways: first, as a means to remember the university’s ties to the Ball family glassmanufacturing business and, second, as a tool to explore subtle changes in material, as well as shifts in vision and viewpoint.
Revisiting Lin Tianmiao
Experimental artist Lin Tianmiao has been dramatically expanding her work in recent years, moving from her signature textiles, ribbons, and threads into found objects and sound. A recent visit to Lin’s studio and home near Beijing offered an opportunity to see current works, as she prepared for upcoming exhibitions.
Everything Is Alive: A Conversation with Maria Nepomuceno
Dynamic forms, organic shapes, and bright colors loaded with implied growth and energy characterize Maria Nepomuceno’s work. “Everything is in transformation,” she says. “Everything is alive in the work.” Beginning with a point and a line – via a bead and a string – Nepomuceno builds up forms and compositions, creating sculptures and installations that
Kevin Killen: Drawing Time From Light
Artists who use neon, an expensive medium, are not thick on the ground in Ireland. Those of us who are, shall we say, of a mature generation, probably think of Dan Flavin’s Minimalist sculptures or perhaps of François Morellet’s pulsing forms, both bodies of neon works dating from the early ’60s onward.
The Work Takes Control of Itself: A Conversation with Mariana Villafañe
Mariana Villafañe’s work emerges from the study of geometric-morphological patterns, a dialogue between mathematics, pure geometry, and abstraction that gains focus from a sensorial point of view. Villafañe tries to find visual means of representation for movement, as well as the sounds and vibrations that it generates.
Achieving Necessity: John Duff
John Duff, a New York-based sculptor long associated with abstract, austere, and often totemic-looking objects, exhibited a new and decidedly different body of work last year. His first solo exhibition in 12 years, it was held in an unconventional setting.
Art Prospect
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA Art Prospect Last year, Art Prospect, St. Petersburg’s first and only public art festival, marked its fifth year. Since its inception, its artistic vision has been shaped by Susan Katz, an American who has lived in St. Petersburg since 1998, and Kendal Henry, a New Yorker involved with public art. In 2016, the festival focused on social practice and community engagement, with projects by 33 different artists and artist teams, 22 from Russia and the remainder hailing from the U.S., Switzerland, Norway, Finland, and Poland.
