Gallery Visit

I was recently at Prairie Gallery for the opening of Forms of Authority. After hiking up the steps to the gallery, which is located on the second story of a small building in Northside, you reach Prairie. Prairie is fairly simple in presentation. White walls, unfinished wood flooring. The place was full of people that I felt that I should know. I saw a few professors that I know through school, but most of the people seemed to be wealthy wasps...And since I do not fall into either of those categories it was very interesting to listen in to their conversations. Many of which were about how conceptual the works were. However, none of them ever said why...

 A piece by Hanry Navarro

On display were three artists, Hanry Navarro, Stewart Goldman and Joseph Winterhalter. Each artist worked to explore the contemporary institution through painting and drawing.

 # 26 by Joseph Winterhalter

"Together they explore the tension between natural forms and processes and the increasing complexity and power of contemporary social institutions, said gallery owner David Rosenthal.

I felt strongly that two of the artists really fit into the theme of the show. Both the works of Navarro and Winterhalter reflected a strange look into the idea of the institution.However, Goldman's works seemed to reflect more of the natural world. The images looked more like landscapes, rather than something to do with modernization. Unless the piece was trying to come off as a stark contrast to the others in the space. Yet, I think that the artists should have tried more to work together to really make the theme present. Overall, I liked the show, but I did leave feeling a bit confused.

A collective image of Winterhalter's works