Fine Art Review: Measured Strokes, Spontaneous Beasts: Provoking Thought on Animals and Their Beauty

So simple yet so provoking, that's the only word to describe the new art exhibit in the Sarofirm fine arts gallery. Continuing the theme of the Brown Symposium ("Who do we think we are!") the exhibit entitled "Measured Strokes, Spontaneous Beasts" does an amazing job in really making you think about animals and what they are thinking. Both artists are significantly influenced by the connection between humans and animals and their different styles reflect how they interpret that relationship. Now this is not another save the animals environmental political statement where you end up being guilt tripped into caring about the earth, very much on the contrary actually. The exhibit houses two artists, both of which are very well regarded in the artistic world, and it gives two different viewpoints on animals and the way we see them.

The first artist is Sarah Canright who takes a simple white dog that looks close to a Dalmatian and somehow makes him realistic yet with a very empty abstract feeling. The paintings are so lyrical and the vast majority of blankness and openness gives the illusion of timelessness. The blankness of the canvas is countered only by touches of color that accentuate the dog's features, i.e. the nose, mouth and especially the eyes. The color though is nothing more than a light shade of pink and at times a dull brown so when gazing at the paintings an angelic aura seems to surround the brushstrokes on the oil canvas. The dog's longing becomes part of you and the collection evokes a flood of emotion. From a profile shot, to an abstract mirror image the depictions truly make you think about what animals see in the world and it becomes a window into a different world from an artist's eye.

The second artist is named Melissa W. Miller and her paintings are much more appealing to the eye with a finished looking style yet once again the incorporation of such abstract concepts in the form of simple farm animals and safari hunts make the pieces so unique. It always seems as if the animals are searching for something and the paintings have many levels and depth to them. At first glance it looks as though 6 different scenes are painted on one canvas but then the realization comes that it all flows together and beautifully at that. In the exhibit Miller uses a wide variety of historical sources in order to create a very personal and deep connection to the natural world and proves to create a narrative of paintings rather than just a collection; it is such a cohesive work. Other paintings of hers are also up in the gallery and are done on "Gouache on Paper" instead of the traditional oil on canvas paintings. Still revolving around animals the paintings seem to have a sketchy finish on them yet none the less the ambiguity makes it all worth it.

Both artists have been given numerous awards internationally and have had their art shown in many museums around the country. As of now both teach at the University of Texas at Austin, so come enjoy the show and support two powerful local artists.