Heartland Heartbeat The latest news from the Hutchinson-RC Arts and Humanities Council
Visiting Artist Talks Virgil Penner Virgil Penner Exhibit on display at the Hutchinson Art Center, closing February 17th.
Virgil Penner’s exhibit at the Hutchinson Art Center displays an impressive, singular vision of the Midwest with deep emotional impact. At first glance, this large collection of acrylic paintings presents an almost overwhelming array of bright colors and folksy images. Penner paints familiar Midwestern landscapes and scenes in a whimsical, sometimes surreal, style. In many of the paintings, I recognized draftsmanship and a compositional sensibility echoing the great Thomas Hart Benton, as well as sculptural cloud formations that remind me of the work of fellow Newton artist Phil Epp. In “White Barn with Red Bird,” a striking black sky ominously highlights a structure that feels at once sturdy and unstable. In contrast to the sky, the brightly lit foreground gives an otherworldly quality to the scene, while the base of the barn lists precariously under the weight of a stalwart loft. This painting speaks of solemnity, tradition, ambiguity and fatigue . . . and in the tiny red bird, of hope. Susan Burdick Burdick is a Wichita-based graphic designer and artist experienced in a variety of styles and media, including painting, printmaking, textiles, computer illustration, photography and the occasional shrinky dink.
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