Richard Barnet, Karen Gibbons and Joy Makon “Present Tense”

440 Gallery

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Present Tense features new work by gallery artists Barnet, Gibbons and Makon. These artists have each elected to show new work. The striking contrast in style and approach is tempered by a clarity of vision and underlying passion which these artists bring to their distinct craft. Gibbons works in mixed-media collage, Barnet draws in ink with colorful washes, and Makon uses a meticulous watercolor technique. While each artist shines, the real joy of this show is in finding the connections in line and form. Echos of palette and tone create something more than the sum of its parts.

Richard Barnet’s work is from a series he calls Mortal Limits. Using the theme of play he mingles a sense of melancholy with the puzzling, scary, and imaginary. In this way he builds a vocabulary of dreams and fantasy. Barnet says, “Play is often more honest than inner or outer social expectations, which may direct us to appear composed, cheerful, or normal.” He envisions the drawings as concept sketches for large scale play environments; sculptural environments that people could enter and move or dance through.

Joy Makon’s paintings are an acknowledgment of both the beauty and the realism of these times. Makon says, “This pandemic may have restricted my mobility, yet I have taken advantage of the quiet isolation to spend time in the studio to indulge in color, light and detail. I am transported to places that flourish in my vision as well as memory. Smoke Gets In Your Skies depicts the Central Park Reservoir as smoke from West Coast wildfires tinged the sky this September. No.17 is from a socially-distanced, late-fall walk along Prospect Park West, where I observed a vibrant Virginia creeper framing a light-dappled mansion facade.”

Karen Gibbons’ recent work revolves around the theme of transformation. In every piece many images merge and emerge, bringing up myriad associations. Color, line, and composition lend coherence and integration as the viewer is swept up in a sumptuous saga alluding to emotions, cycles, and rebirth. Gibbons says, “The images refer to both physical bodies and our collective body. These works are reflections on the idea that we are all one, and the path of transformation is both personal and collective.”