M2 Gallery owner Mac Murphy has assembled one of his best shows to date.
The four-artist exhibit, which continues through Nov. 2, features R.H. Walker, Eric Freeman, Richard Sutton and Marcus McAllister. It's a particularly rich show for those who love art from sketchbooks.
• Walker, an oil painter adept in landscapes and portraits, has hit a growth spurt. In particular, his new portrait Caught represents an interesting direction. Minimalist and monochromatic, this portrait of a female reveals strength of character and an intriguing sense of mystery.
The intense full-color work Don't Look at the Lawyer depicts a suited attorney with a hipster beard radiating strength and power. An untitled work, a man in the midst of goats, one licking the top of his head, has the aura of a modern-day St. Francis. Two floral works seem out of character here, but are well painted. A large street scene with owners and their dogs is charming.
• Freeman's work is focused on his time in New York, Woodstock, N.Y., and Arkansas. The works range from the 1990s to 2010. His use of vivid colors and strong, bold lines in his pastels and mixed media works is appealing and takes on a bit of an outsider vibe.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, from 1998, is delightful. Possibly inspired by the British band of the same name from the early '80s ("Relax"), the portrait of a man in a leather cap has a whimsical, almost pop art presence. Some sketchbook works from 2010 are especially loose and fluid.
• Sutton's flowing grid-like contemporary pen and ink drawings are especially effective when he provides his drawings negative space, which enhances a sense of movement. One can almost feel the energy that drives these pieces; they seem to move like fabric buffeted by the wind.
All of the works are untitled and are from sketchbooks.
• McAllister's appealing watercolors, some with ink, are taken from his sketchbooks. A resident of Paris, the Arkansas native is known for his depictions of birds, a number of which are in this show.
He also has some acrylic originals, including several mystical and Medieval-flavored pieces inspired by the film The Seventh Sign. Among those, Message Received, is especially effective.
R.H. Walker, Eric Freeman, Richard Sutton and Marcus McAllister, through Nov. 2, M2 Gallery, 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 918, Little Rock. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and by appointment. Info: (501) 225-6257.
Email:
ewidner@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 10/20/2016