Review

"Beyond the Surface." Acrylic on Canvas Floorcloth.

Gail Bean

By appointment during business hours.

b gallery
Studio b
2016 Main St.
Kansas City, MO
816.994.8995

Hours: First Fridays, 6-10 p.m., First Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and by appointment
Runs through: Feb. 28.

Artist's site: http://www.gailbeanfineart.com

Take most artists' works off the walls, put them on the floor and walk on them, and something along the lines of "ruckus" is likely to ensue.

But a good portion of Gail Bean's current show at b gallery — all of the pieces on the south wall, in fact — are designed to go underfoot.

Bean's Beyond the Surface, pictured above, is among those works. It and the others are colorful, vibrant acrylic paintings on canvas ... canvas floorcloth, that is.

Bean, who teaches art in the Osage City district in northeast Kansas, offers a history lesson:

Floorcloths, sometimes called oilcloths, were some of the earliest forms of floor covering dating back to England in the 1700’s. They were popular in the United States during colonial times. Floorcloths were used to cover drafts in hardwood floors and were less expensive than wool carpet. The development of linoleum and other less expensive floor coverings all but removed floorcloths from American homes in the mid 1900’s. There was a resurgence of them in the 1970’s because of their variety in pattern and society’s interest in contemporary art.

After completing a floorcloth, Bean covers it with five layers of a clear protective coating to protect it from the effects of foot traffic (although all the works in this category can more than  hold their own as wall art, too.)

Bean doesn't stick to one medium or technique, though. This show also includes drawings and acrylic paintings, also in bright colors and strong compositions.

There are so many media that I have used over the years, so many students who have passed through my classroom, and so many techniques in art instruction and classroom management that I have utilized, she writes. This may be looked at as pure chaos by some, but I look at it as a wonderful opportunity that enables me to learn and grow artistically right along with my students. ... [M]y work shows much variety, and I find it energizing to try new techniques and media. An artist must strive for aesthetically pleasing work, and at the same time express oneself through use of the art medium, art elements and principles. It is what my teaching focus is about, and it is my personal artistic goal as well.

It's a goal she more than meets, even as she acknowledges that not everyone shares her views on the value of a broad-spectrum portfolio.

"I know some people think an artist should focus on only one thing," she said at Friday night's opening reception. "I've never been able to do that."

And why should she? Bean's show at b gallery might include works to be stepped on ... but in a deeper sense, one can only look up to her passion for variety and her skill at making it work.

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