A mixture of joy, sadness, awe and gratitude imbues the experience of walking through "In Memory of Amy Edgington: Collage Artists of Arkansas," a lovely and warm tribute exhibit to the artist now at Wildwood Park for the Arts.
Edgington, who died in 2015, was, and is, one of central Arkansas' most influential artists. Her painterly sensibility, eye-catching design sense and sharp storytelling and commentary skills set her work apart in the visual arts community. Those things, along with a wicked sense of humor, gave her work an uncommon depth and intelligence.
While her collages were usually packed with images, there was usually a central theme, thought or idea. It could often take time to unpack her more complex work, but it was always worthwhile. The exhibition features several works by Edgington (including a couple of her masterworks) and hangs through Dec. 23.
The exhibit also is a welcome opportunity to view works by other artists working in collage, some of whom used Edgington's materials (donated by her partner, Lynn Frost) to create pieces for this exhibit.
Artists include Cherece Athy, Becky Botos, Michael Church, Jerry Colburn, Jessica Crenshaw, Daniel Evans, Laura Fanning, Lilia Hernandez Galusha, Erin Lorenzen, Sulac and Byron Werner.
Some highlights:
• Edgington's Gaudi's Cat and Your Eyes Never Take a Bad Picture. The former is an homage, a wink and an exploration of the stylistic hallmarks of the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. It is one of Edgington's masterworks.
• Our Lady of the Birds is Edgington's stunning tribute to Silent Spring author Rachel Carson, whose groundbreaking book explored how the indiscriminate use of pesticides affected the environment, particularly birds.
• Werner, who creates his works with gift wrap, creates astonishing portraits. His Aretha Franklin captures a youthful vision of the singer; Dr. Gachet recalls the bold richness of Henri Matisse.
• Fanning utilized Edgington's material (including burned matchsticks) to create a startling, primitive God of Hell Fire.
• Lorenzen's cool La Independencia, a fabulous and large collage of birds.
• Sulac's pop-art take charms in Falling Stars.
• Athy taps Edgington's humor with In the Garden of Hieronymus Squash (Channeling Amy).
• Botos' Birds of a Feather is a bird made from pictures of birds. It and Sea Horse (a horse created mainly from pictures of aquatic life) are engaging.
• Colburn's contemporary art aesthetic works especially well on Lonely Girl.
• Church takes a minimalist approach and shares the social/political edge that distinguished many of Edgington's best works. He is probably the most prolific of her acolytes. Church created his collages with Edgington's clipped art and other materials. Like her, he is a passionate and often profound storyteller.
This exhibition does Edgington proud.
"In Memory of Amy Edgington: Collage Artists of Arkansas," through Dec. 23, Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Road, Little Rock. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Info: wildwoodpark.org, (501) 821-7275
LANDSCAPES!
Sometimes, an art show's title is especially appropriate. "Connecting With the Land," an exhibit of works by Arkansas Tech University art professor David Mudrinich, is especially so. Landscapes can be, well, pretty to look at. But Mudrinich wants more.
His conte crayon, pastel and oil paintings and drawings lure the viewer into a sense of place that, while likely very personal for the artist, stirs a yearning to get out and explore our place in nature and make our own connection.
Mudrinich's work -- expansive and intimate -- is at times romantic and mysterious. Passage, an oil on canvas, sweeps the viewer on the wings of crows to see an aerial view of the land below. The breathtaking oil Prairie Isle, which focuses on a distant grove of trees on a rolling landscape, is magical. The evocation of Stonehenge in the work gives a sense of timelessness. A sense of the otherworldly pervades Under the Cedar, a conte crayon work rich in texture and mystery.
"Connecting With the Land," through Dec. 24, Cantrell Gallery, 8206 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. Info: (501) 224-1335
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Style on 12/11/2016