Review

"Self Portrait as the Mad Hatter."

Jeanette Powers

6-10 p.m.
(Opening reception)

Plenum Art Space
504 E. 18th St.
Kansas City, MO
816.813.4688

Hours after First Friday: By appointment.
Runs through: July 23

Gallery site: http://plenumspace.weebly.com

Oh, look, it's First Friday and Brisendine's featuring a show at the Plenum Art Space. Must be an artist he's seeing for the first time, too.

Nope. Not this time. Your (occasionally) humble correspondent has been a fan of Powers' work for years and has been hoping for a chance to feature her since this daily project started in 2009.

You want color? Check. Emotion? Ditto. Texture, light and shadow? All there in abundance.  (For proof of each, scroll back up and see Self-Portrait as the Mad Hatter, atop this post.)

Powers' work is intense without bludgeoning, personal without bleeding all over the canvas and possessed of just enough mystery to make it intriguing rather than frustrating.

Then again, viewers aren't the only ones likely to find themselves bemused by Powers' work.

My art is largely a mystery to me, she writes. I aim for precision of emotion, vibrance of color, and if I'm lucky a bit of chaos emerges. I rarely set out with an intention to communicate to anyone but myself, but genuinely hope that if I succeed at convincing myself, others will also feel the intensity of the inspiration. I like to work with an edge of fear that what I want to do is beyond my capabilities, and that I can do better with... each painting in terms of taking chances. The subject matter and levels of realism are broad, but my voice comes through with the bold colors which define my work.

Powers instructed herself in that voice; she (as is the case with a number of recently featured artists) is self-taught.  Clearly, she had both an apt pupil and a good teacher.

As ever, though, don't take my word for it. If you haven't seen Powers' work yet, tonight's opening at Plenum (in the East Crossroads) offers an excellent first look. And if you've been a fan for years, it's always good to reconnect with Powers' powerful art.

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