KC STUDIO Exhibition Reveiw

 KC STUDIO
“Mary Ann Strandell: The Conversation,” Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art

• by Elisabeth Kirsch
• July 6, 2020
• Visual , Visual Art Reviews

Mary Ann Strandell has always been a time traveler, with specific interests in architecture, nature, animals and the decorative arts. All these subjects are part of “Conversation,” and they all chatter together, regardless of their respective timelines, and even if their dialogues seem hermetic.
Verdant paintings of birds, tulips, magnolia trees, and parks — all of them bursting with life— are situated next to historic edifices such as the Western Auto and Power and Light buildings in Kansas City. There are also mid-century modern living rooms (conversation pits) filled with decorative objects such as sputnik lamps, floating 18th-century chinoiserie and strange animals. Strandell has long used lenticulars in her artwork, which add a three-dimensional floating quality to some of her images. Ghostly blueprints also hover over some architectural pieces.
Strandell’s migrations take the form of memory journeys and are thought forms as much as actual reproductions of places and things. Some bring pleasure, some are strange, and others make us wonder what came before and what will follow. There’s really no such thing as time or space in Strandell’s art; she creates the constancy of nature and beauty while also showing the beginning of everything human-made while hinting at its ultimate demise.

Hung Liu: Seedlings,” “Anne Austin Pearce: Path” and “Mary Ann Strandell: The Conversation” continue at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, 2004 Baltimore Ave., through Aug. 22. Call to make an appointment, 816.221.2626. For more information, www.sherryleedy.com.

SEE THE FULL REVIEW:  Three Solo Shows