Earls exhibition had Luminous quality
Until recently, I knew almost nothing about the art of Kendra Earls, it was, therefore, a foregone conclusion, that her current exhibition would be surprising. The question was, what kind of a surprise? I can now tell you that when I visited her exhibition, the experience was an enjoyable one. It will be a pleasure for me to review it.
Kendra Earls exhibited her acrylic paintings in the Rick Faries Gallery, at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. It consisted of 22 paintings, all consistently framed in the same dark, flat, wide molding. The presentation is striking, for its modernity. The exhibition is entitled, "Luminous".
There are, it seems, two different types of paintings in this show. Many are colourful, but a number are monochromatic, the latter being in whites and greys. Most are on the small side and almost half are square, a number are rectangular, some long and narrow. All seem to be in a quasi-cubist style.
As I walked the walls, I found myself drawn to several. The first painting as you enter the show, is called "Testifying". It is a colourful, square abstract painting, which is nicely balanced between warm, reds and oranges and the cooler blues and greens.
Nearby is a more realistic acrylic of a vase with red flowers, named, "Love is Beautiful". The background is in grey, which allows the red of the tulip-like flowers to sing. This, too, is a square painting and like many of Ms Earl's square paintings in this show, its outside dimensions, including the frame, is 22 inches.
A larger painting is, "The Beginning". This is a rectangular, abstract work of mostly greys but with three, tannish circular forms distributed throughout the painting. I understand that this is possibly Ms Earl's favourite, in this show.
Nearby, is another square, largely grey, monochromatic painting of an abstracted tree, but with a copper orb caught up in its branches. This, too, is 22 inches square, and like most of the other paintings, it is on some kind of panel, possibly plywood. The title of this work is, "Naked Truth".
The last painting I will mention is a coolish abstract on the theme of sailing. Against a blue background, are three shapes that tend to the triangular, that are reminiscent of sails. In the upper left, is a light circle that must represent the moon. It is entitled, "Sailing to No End".
The exhibition closed on May 13.