Betsy Kendall at B. Sakata Garo Gallery
Betsy Kendall is an American painter who graduated from
Mills College with her BA and MA in painting from San Francisco University.
Betsy Kendall show at the B. Sakata Garo Gallery consisted of pieces of
watercolor, gouache and some with collage. This is the set up of her show from
the back of the gallery. This picture is taken from the back of the gallery.
From the left of the entrance, there is a hallway under the
staircase and second floor that exhibits more of her work and loops to the back
of the gallery leading the viewer back to the entrance. The gallery is well lit
and the pieces have enough space apart for the viewer to experience each piece
on its own.
“Jazzy Odalisque” made with collage elements with gouache
and mounted on panel. The work from this exhibition including this piece seems
to be influenced by Neo-expressionism. Neo-expressionism emerged from the late
1970’s, it returned to expressive qualities of Expressionism The
expressionistic brushstrokes in the highlights and strong contour lines on the
figure suggest influence from Neo-expressionism.
“Collage Dogs with Eugene” collage and gouache mounted on
panel. The recognizable figure and emphasis on the importance of the subject is
also an important element of Neo-expressionism. Kendall puts emphasis on the
importance of the figure by making it the largest by scale, centralizing the
figure and varying the brushstrokes within it very different from the other
forms within the painting.
“Orna and Amber” made
with collage elements, gouache and mounted on panel. Other Neo-expressionistic
elements seen within her paintings are the exaggerated colors within the
figures she paints. Especially in this painting, her use of layering different
pinks, reds, oranges and yellows warm-tones gives the figure life. This is also
accomplished with her wide range of brushstrokes to build her body. An
interesting element of her paintings is her use of lines and geometric shapes
to make space. She also accomplishes this with collaging, as in this painting
it seems to become a window of space and in other cases it blends in with the
painting. She also has elements of painting such as the white triangle on the
lower right, that mimics the collaged element.
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