Exhibit: Don Yang's Drawing Class

 Don Yang, Portrait of Kevin

Don Yang has the most sculptural, clinical, dry, precise, Classical style of drawing at the Palette and Chisel.  It's perfect in this depiction of Kevin Allen, an accomplished composer of sacred music for the Roman Catholic Church.

In its depiction of a sensitive, intelligent, disciplined, creative man -- this is one of the best portraits I've ever seen in our gallery.

It's a style that demands complete control of sculptural volume.  The short comings in execution do not read as artistic expression -- they just read as clumsy mistakes.

And so most of the student pieces in this exhibit  are eyesores.

But there are a few remarkable exceptions:

Cynthia Li

 George Zaremba

George Zaremba

This portrait is especially remarkable because the face is so expressive.  That woman's anxiety jumps off the wall.

Exhibit: Yu L. Huang

 Target: The 50th Anniversary of the Cultural Revolution

Coincidently, another one of my blogs records the dramatic experiences of a good friend's wife in that catastrophe.

Click here to read it.

The  State of Painting

Wow!  I can't imagine a better tribute to those intrepid souls who write about contemporary art -- and are usually addressing an empty chair.

By far, it's the most thoughtful -- and best looking -- painting in this show - and among the best paintings shown at the Palette this year.

Yu L. Huang can really tell a story.



Click here for her website.