Arts and Letters
Art Exhibit Derivative, Amateurish

rt collectors who want an alternative to the downtown gallery scene may feel tempted to peruse The "Kreative Kiddies!" exhibit on display this week at Centre-Gate Mall, (a collection of drawings, paintings, and sculpture from a diverse group of young artists just coming on to the scene). However, the serious collector will surely be disappointed by what is, overall, a show of derivative, slap-dash works.

Sara Hutchins's For Daddy (2001)

Take For Daddy by Sara Hutchins (b. 1996), an ink-rendered pastorale in a neo-primitive style. It shows a fine sense of balance and an interesting use of line, but the hackneyed subject matter keeps it from being of any real interest. In the same category were the neo-primitive ink drawings of William "Billy" Lee (b. 1997) such as A Monster Eated a Ttruck (pictured below). With nods to Twombly and de Kooning, Lee's work also showed potential, but ultimately the masterful techniques failed to compensate for the lack of relevant content.

Mikey Wurzer's Fireman (2001)

Mikey Wurzer's (b. 1995) aptly titled Fireman is perhaps one of the stronger works in the show. Another neo-primitive piece, done in ink and crayon (a popular medium in this circle), it juxtaposes text with image, highlighting the interplay between name and object (even evoking a political subtext: the word scrawled across the top is either 'fireman' or 'freman'/'free man'). The use of imprecisely applied bright color is the motif that holds the work together.

William Lee's A Monster Eated a Ttruck (2001)

In the sculpture category, one standout piece is a neo-primitive mixed media work by Jamal Hunter (b. 1995) entitled Tiger. Largely a mass of popsicle-sticks and dried macaroni pasta glazed with orange tempera, it is definitely the strongest three-dimensional work in the show, evoking a fragmented vision of its subject while achieving a refreshing playfulness of form.

All in all, there were some interesting pieces, but let the buyer beware: while the artwork in the show might be cheap -- even free -- ultimately, these are no bargains.