work by Marcie Miller Gross (photo by E.G. Schempf)
The quartet of small shows now on view at Haw Contemporary is a masterclass in the simplicity of a thing done well.
Featuring a bench of beloved Kansas City artists — Lisa Grossman, Marcie Miller Gross, Doug Barrett, and Mike Sinclair — the quality of each exhibition emanates from its refreshing authenticity. In this era of relentlessly generated AI content, there is something grounding about being in the presence of genuine creative expression. And although the subject matter and media of the artists differs, all four spaces coalesce around their use of visual elements to evoke additional sensory perceptions.
Grossman’s “On the River” is a dignified homage to the Kaw River and her appreciation of its bounty. The series of oil on canvas paintings, rendered from an aerial perspective, reveals the artist’s cherished ecosystem as a powerful and mysterious organism — a benefactor that we can endeavor to understand but never truly know. With a fixation on revealing the river’s nuances at dawn and dusk, Grossman’s work strums at a vestigial chord within the human spirit, one that recognizes the sounds of flowing water, patiently coaxing messages into the landscape that transcend lifetimes. From rain-engorged cascades to resilient trickles, “On the River” is meant to be heard, not merely seen.
Meanwhile, Miller Gross entwines visual components with minimalism in “Shifting: Sculptures and Prints” to elevate the role of shape and texture. Although her gallery contains some examples of lithographic ink on paper, the most arresting pieces are the plywood sculptures wrapped in wool industrial felt. Most of these monochromatic objects are disarming in their austerity, and visitors of certain generations might find themselves reminiscing about the cascading geometric figures from the video game Tetris. But the humility of the shapes cannot conceal their sophistication, manifested in the tiny tendrils of textile that emerge from the surfaces. Such subtle details reiterate the importance of tactile experiences, and it’s nearly impossible not to imagine what the flesh of the sculptures must feel like.
“Ghosts of the Plains,” by photographer Doug Barrett, takes viewers on a journey with Black cowboys, farmers, and horsemen through Kansas and the Midwest. Barrett’s mission, to address the racism within these stereotypically white spaces, is pursued via a collection of black and white archival pigment prints showing African Americans working, living and playing within the realm of agriculture and animal husbandry. And despite photography’s firm command of the visual domain, it is again the works’ activation of another sense that makes this show such a rich encounter. Images like “Kansas 0029,” depicting a cowboy leaning into his shot over a billiards table, conjures the aroma of beer, cigarette smoke, and labor that traditionally accompanies such environments. And in “Ghosts of the Plains 0145,” a horseman prepares to approach his steed inside a stable. To witness this image is to consume the olfactive cues of hay and earth, as real as if they had emanated from the picture.
Mike Sinclair’s “French Pictures: Photographs and Paintings,” in sharing glimpses of his recent visits to France, offers a satisfying coda to the full-body artistic journey at Haw Contemporary. His images are truly gorgeous, and they reveal both the mundane and the fantastic in one of the most storied places on earth. But it is pieces like the archival pigment print “Ardèche #7” that help the exhibition ascend. A lush, outdoor space unfolds, and it appears family and friends have gathered for a picnic or celebration. In the foreground, a food-laden table beckons, like a phantom stoking the viewer’s taste buds. To really participate, it seems almost necessary to savor the breads, pastries and produce that are on offer, but Sinclair lets us do so vicariously through his lens.
Whether or not it was intentional, the four shows at Haw Contemporary work together with a vibrant harmony that nourishes all five senses, making for an uplifting and revitalizing artistic sojourn.
“On the River,” “Shifting: Sculpture and Prints,” “Ghosts of the Plains” and “French Pictures: Photographs and Paintings” continue at Haw Contemporary, 1600 Liberty St. through Nov. 2. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit www.hawcontemporary.com or call 816.-842-5877.
