The Road To Refresh...: William Busta when in Cleveland

As promised in our last week in review, we feel the need to mention some of the great experiences we had when we were in Cleveland last weekend. And for the record, I must say "Wow, what a welcoming place!"

Surely another interaction or two will be mentioned along the way, but for now it's fitting that we start by saying "When in Cleveland, visit the William Busta Gallery." It was our first stop into town ...so we recommend it be one of yours too.

For us, it was kind of like the Carl Solway Gallery (Cincinnati) of their city. And to clarify, I mention that as to say, they both are large, well lit, fairly amazing spaces with friendly staff and equally genuine owners ...which parProjects has thankfully shared interactions with (Thanks again for the solid in-town food recommendations Bill). Plus, if this past grouping of artwork is indeed the norm, they both host outstanding shows!

While I could go on and on about the outstanding works of Lorri Ott (something quiet), Mark Cottle (The Geometry of Clouds) and Darice Polo (Through A Galss, Darkly) , I'll focus my energies on Andrea Joki and her show "Crossing" ...which closes April 23rd if you happen to be in the Cleveland area.

For me, Andrea Joki's work was simply relatable, well done and easily understood ...emotionaly. It's all about pattern; sure. But the number of layers and amount of time it took to pull off these painterly compositions must be appreciated. Everything from color, to texture, to scale, to the specific individually patterned elements was taken into consideration. From large to small, generally speaking, her paintings simply "worked." (Kind of like my favorite Honda commercial of all time -- http://t.co/QCP9pv5) So when boiled down, her show almost becomes a lesson in 2-Dimensional design.

Regretfully, Joki's body of work can't truly be appreciated via pictures on-line.

These pieces capture something that must be felt ...almost the same way it's hard to appreciate a Van Gogh until seeing one in person. When the artist wants to convey "quiet," thin layers and subtle shifts of color are used. But when she wants to demonstrate "aggression," much thicker paint is applied and heavy contrasts are brought to the forefront. So, essentially, when you walk around Willaim Busta's gallery space, these seemingly simple patterns actually speak to you ...and let you know how you should feel. It really is all about the interaction with the canvases. These are works (in a great space) worth spending time with. That is all for now.