Review

A review of Liu Hong : Grant Miller : Mary Ann Strandell

Liu Hong, "Lip Language #2," oil on canvas, 35" x 39 1/4", 2010. Image: courtesy of the gallery

Byron C. Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art
Kansas City, Missouri
June 6 — July 31, 2010

Since the turn of the millennium, the influence of affluence has become increasingly prevalent. The desire for opulence and individual freedom, as well as the products that come with the lifestyle, seem more sought after than ever. Combine this with changing social norms and dramatic increases in the availability of advertisements, and one sees an era of consumption unprecedented as of yet in the history of civilization. It is a prevalent theme that runs through the works of the Liu Hong, Mary Ann Strandell, and Grant Miller, and the electricity in this exhibition is produced by each artist’s individual take on the idea.

Mary Ann Strandell, "Pool Op," 3-D lenticular print on Sintra, 8 x 8", 2008. Image: courtesy of the gallery

Grant Miller, "Untitled (17)," mixed media, 24" x 30", 2010. Image: courtesy of the gallery

Liu Hong’s paintings address the issue of social change in post-Cultural Revolution China with simple, yet provocative portraits of anonymous women. Taken from advertisements seen in China, these women exhibit a freedom that the Chinese populace are beginning to become accustomed to. The faces and hands of the women are painted completely in gray tones, giving the figures the posture of mass production, like advertisements in newspapers. The monochromatic tonality also draws the focus to their hair, which Hong has painted in a jolting fluorescent pink, using a slashing, almost abstract brush stroke, while the face and hands have been carefully modeled. The lips of the women are painted in higher contrast than the rest of the facial features, and given the names of all the paintings are Lip Language, it seems that Hong wants viewers to recognize this part of the face in particular.

Liu Hong, "Lip Language #2," oil on canvas, 35" x 39 1/4", 2010. Image: courtesy of the gallery

In her artist statement, she explains briefly that after the Cultural Revolution in China ended, female attitudes towards the Chinese way of life began to change. That was in 1976, and with the demise of Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, China saw the end of the harsh policies that had made up its government since 1958. In the past decade, a more open economic market has begun to survive in China, and consumerism to establish itself. And with that came advertising. By accentuating the hair and lips of the figures, Hong emphasizes the slackening of strict social standards and the appropriation of more Western sensibilities.

The opulent paintings and prints by Mary Ann Strandell affiliate themselves also with luxury and freedom, but in a more whimsical sense. Her paint-laden canvases smack of a Wayne Thiebaud-style Pop-art sensibility, and their subjects, a chandelier, a luxurious pool, and a bird's-eye view of a beachfront hotel, encapsulate the trappings of the wealthy. More interesting are her 3-D lenticular prints that incorporate abstraction with images of Baroque porcelain statuary. The movement of the image, coupled with the kaleidoscope of electric pinks and greens can be overwhelming at first, but as the imagery becomes clearer, a certain charm befalls the prints. By combining both the antique kitchiness of the statuary with the new kitsch of the 1980s color scheme, while using of 3-D imagery, Strandell has achieved a sort of Neo-Glam type of art, something that incorporates luxury and flashiness that spans the ages.

Mary Ann Strandell, "Ascension," 3-D lenticular print on Sintra, 24" x 24", 2008. Image: courtesy of the gallery

Shirking whimsy in favor of chaos, Grant Miller’s work touches on themes that deal with new forms of information and the effect it has upon different aspects of life. Miller adopts an “all-over” style used by the New York School in the 1950s, though upon closer inspection, though, scenes do begin to appear. Interiors of rooms become visible, sometimes several in one painting, each with its own perspective. Dribbled over the myriad of structured lines are thick, marbled swaths of paint that meander through windows and doors, always one step ahead of the web of framework that tries to contain them. It is a hyper-colored, seizure-inducing world that the viewer is lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. In his artist statement, Miller expresses his interest in the way information moves seamlessly through our existence to affect our outlook on our own lives and the world around us. By representing information as a writhing being of some sort, Miller has touched on an entity that has made itself very well known within the last decade.

Grant Miller, "Untitled (EB 22)," mixed media, 32" x 48", 2009. Image: courtesy of the gallery

There is a diversity of thought that is felt throughout this exhibition. Three artists with differing opinions expound on a similar subject through the use of color, and all have a valid point. These thoughts on information and luxury have been the basis for many contemporary art works, and is a subject newly tapped for a drove of eager artists. The most interesting thing will be to watch how the art evolves along with the ever-changing technological and informational arenas.

-re-

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