\Iowa City,"" a new exhibit currently on display at Wendy Cooper Gallery, 824 E. Johnson St., showcases four emerging artists while infusing Madison's art scene with fresh, abstracted works of art. After meeting in the University of Iowa's MFA program, John Kleckner, Carianne Mack, Josh Podoll and Jared Sprecher have joined artistic forces to present this exhibit, which runs through Oct. 11. Because this exhibit centers around artists embarking on their careers, their work possesses youthful exuberance and an appreciation for a wide range of media including acrylic, oil, ink and collage.
Josh Podoll's ""Diamond Phrases #3"" is the first work to grace the viewer's eye and firmly establishes the exhibit's quest for meaning through abstraction. Curvatures rendered in cut paper create a sense of visual movement across the canvas. The linear nature of this piece highlights diamond-shaped bursts of light and underscores Podoll's desire to ""[map] the space between experience and comprehension,"" as indicated in his artistic statement.
The exhibit takes a sharp turn from Podoll's use of paper and acrylic, pushing the bounds of expression with the presentation of John Kleckner's sticker collages. While Kleckner's renderings may succeed in taking the viewer for a stroll down memory lane, the overall experience brings up visions of third grade art class, minus the glue sticks and disappointing aroma of pending school lunch.
It is not Kleckner's use of media or composition that present the problem, but rather it is presentation which diminishes his desired impact. The stickers, including owls, butterflies and an occasional frog, are placed on a sheet of white paper. It is not a stretch to say that a snapshot-ridden bulletin board hung on the wall by means of thumbtacks, features more presentational forethought than Kleckner's offerings. These whimsical pieces have the potential to highlight a metamorphosis in art, if only presented in a more professional format.
Moving past Kleckner's works, the viewer is treated to a set of innovative paintings by Jared Sprecher. Sprecher's geometric paintings, rendered in acrylic, explore the subtle beauty found in the viscosity of paint. Pushing this typically two-dimensional media past its conventional boundaries, Sprecher's ""Touch"" invites the viewer to become lost in the simple shadows created in this piece. He continues to explore the texture of paint in ""Fludd R."" which evokes geometric echoes of Mondrian with a more experimental approach to brushstrokes and stylistic elements.
Carianne Mack's works create a pleasant contrast in the exhibit due to their placement alongside Kletcher's paintings. While Kleckner weaves a geometric thread throughout his stylistic tendencies, Mack's approach provides for a more organic semblance of work. Mack's ""Nubilous Fortune"" acts as a study of both color and composition. Using a warm color palette, ""Nubilous Fortune"" satisfies Mack's ""...aim to make objects that provoke mourning as well as reverie..."" In her continuing exploration into the wonders of the natural world, Mack presents ""Shaped Yonder."" True to its title, this piece centers on cloud-like imagery which elicits a sense of summer-sunset euphoria.
Despite individual disappointments, this body of work is truly representational of a fresh style emerging from the next generation of young artists. Although list prices ranging from $500 to $2800 may quell any rush to replace various ""Matrix"" posters in Madison dorm rooms with these fine works of art, ""Iowa City"" presents an imaginative style worth taking the time and effort to see. The Wendy Cooper Gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 to 5 p.m. Upcoming events, as well as more information on the gallery, can be found at . As the gallery marks its fourth year of business in Madison, exhibits like ""Iowa City"" succinctly showcase a dedication to the progression of fine arts.
