Art Openings: 'Recent Paintings,' 'The Clean Up'

This past weekend, Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts hosted "Recent Paintings" by Andy Leicht.

Known for his landscape paintings, this exhibit was unusual in that approximately half of the paintings were portraits. The self-portrait of Andy made him easy to spot in the crowd.

The oil on canvas painted faces have some abstract qualities and Fauve-like colors. The "landscapes" are entirely abstract and consist of tight "boxes" of colors and shapes, generally four or so to a rectangular canvas. The shapes march across the painted space and this movement forms the "horizon line" with jerky interruptions and strong verticals to slow down the eye.

Leicht's show remains up through January 7, 2012, with gallery hours on Saturdays, 1:30p.m.-5:00p.m. or by appointment.

Further down Cherokee Street, "The Clean Up", is a group show of 18 artists. Presented at Aisle One Gallery by St Louis Arts Project and The Screwed Arts Collective, this collection of acrylic and mixed media showcases some of the young (twenties and thirties) artists who are rocking St Louis.

Stan Chisholm has a sculptural piece of hand cut foam titled, "Litter and Leaves", placed high on the back wall in white acrylic where it blends in with the ceiling. Peat Wollaeger's "cEYEclops", spray painted orange and black on sculpted wood is part of a series of he has done and re-done.

Bryan Walsh has painted blocks and randomly arranged them for sale on a pedestal. Christopher Burch's "Reflection Drawing #1" is almost a Felix the Cat black splat with creepy faces.

Amy Von Donsel and Jenn Carter, the female artists in the group, do not disappoint with their mixed media pieces.

This show, like end of the year car sales, is only up through December 23, 2011, so hurry in to see it before these artists scatter in 2012 to individual showings.