Amanda McCollum, “Poppies”
Brighten winter spirit with the works of Jeff Berg, Roy Inman and Amanda McCollum, displayed for a brief stint in “Three Artists” at Tim Murphy Art Gallery in Merriam.
McCollum’s interest in the land and environment are evident from the flora and fauna inhabiting her digital paintings based on photography. “Poppies” is one of a series featuring a lone young woman surrounded by a vivid collage of arranged flowers. “Sunflowers” frame an upturned face as birds and bees adorn the surface of the canvas. Each woman’s gaze is indirect, appearing aloof and contemplating.
Another series fixates on winged subjects — a goose, a barn owl, a mockingbird — with an entourage of flowers, insects, and even a snake nestled in separate clusters. Manipulation of color and scale within tight compositions concentrates the depiction of nature, albeit in unnatural juxtapositions.
“High Priestess,” a more intricate work, introduces a tiger resting its head on its paws. Blue jays, roses and oranges prompt wonder about their relationship with the apex predator. McCollum’s colorful vignettes spark intrigue about how creatures and plants intermingle in an imagined world.
Berg’s photography showcases his diverse interests and eye for interesting subjects. “Canoe Cluster” portrays ropes and curved vessels as an abstract interconnected pattern. “P-40 Warhawk” is a close-up of the war plane’s details from fierce-looking graphics to rivets and stenciled lettering — destruction and protection, beauty and aggression, embodied as one. “Tea Garden” soothes with layered detail of a verdant scene mirrored in a pool of water, doubling visual pleasure. “Live Oak” presents a heavy-limbed tree, decades-old, with moss as organic tattoos, looming over delicate ferns. “Winter Japanese Garden” revels in pattern and minimalism, a barren tree stretched over a snow-covered walkway, grasses and frozen pond.
Inman’s work flexes the longtime Kansas City photographer’s depth, range, and technique. “Geese on Frozen Pond” is poetry, ten geese scattered like random punctuation. Shadows are inky strokes of calligraphy underscoring their presence.
Vibrant kaleidoscopic color riots within “Enchanted Forest” at night, as white light ripples between trees as carefree spirits. “Red Tree and Moon” masterfully captures primary colors — a majestic, red-leafed tree against blue sky and golden slopes. The moon, a milky droplet, a reminder. “Barn and Boy” conjures folktale whimsy.
Inman is known for his depictions of iconic local landmarks. His “Plaza Light, Starburst” radiates with joy, wrangling an outburst of light from vehicles, bokeh blurring and streetlights competing with a choir of stringed holiday lights. “Plaza Lights, Ariel” is more subdued, yet still grand. Its sweeping view celebrates the electrification of the modern prairie even as the horizon refuses to be tethered. “Union Station Restoration – 1998” invites study of its solemn black-and-white scene, a quiet wintry giant amid cold-wracked slumber and transformation.
“Three Artists” continues at the Tim Murphy Art Gallery, Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater St., Merriam, through Feb. 22. Hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 5 a.m.to 8 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m.to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, 913.322.5550 or merriam.org/artgallery.
