Art Maui 2009
Art Maui 2009 is great! Whether (as so many wondered at the artists’ opening on June 6) it’s the best Art Maui ever is irrelevant. It’s the best Art Maui 2009 ever! A juried art show is at the mercy of the juror or jurors. It always reflects their aesthetic.
This year, Art Maui was blessed with Lisa Yoshihara as its juror. Yoshihara is arguably one of the most knowledgeable and experienced persons in the country when it comes to Hawaiian artists. She is responsible for the establishment of the state’s wonderful art museum, and for 20 years, she was the curator of the state’s Art in Public Places Program. Yoshihara attended Art Maui from 1986 until 2003.
She said that she was looking for three things: 1. artists who exhibited significant growth, 2. those who were exploring a new direction, and 3. the highest quality possible. This show is all that and more. The wonderful installation design of Joelle C. Perz showcases each piece perfectly. The 111 pieces by 103 artists seem comfortable in their temporary home at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. There is spaciousness and beautiful views through strategically created openings in the walls that make this exhibit flow effortlessly.
Let’s get to the art.
Tom Sewell has done it again! His Spiegel im Spiegel - Mirror in Mirror is an experience not to be missed. One can look down through a sand hole at Rubenesque, or to make it more contemporary, Boteroesque women swimming (there are two). They are seen from below, so the effect of looking at them through a porthole in the sand is disconcerting.
However, the piece is very clear. There is something cherubic about the women, and they appear more like infants swimming in amniotic fluid than adults swimming in a pool or the sea. But the real fun is to lie down and watch the whole show projected on the ceiling. It’s all done to Arvo Part’s haunting music, Spiegel im Spiegel. Bravissimo Tom!
The Schaefer Portrait Challenge has had a tremendous influence on the art scene on Maui and it casts a long shadow on this show. Several “rejects” from the challenge have risen like the proverbial Phoenix to shine in the sun and make one wonder about the jurors’ assessments.
George Allan’s marvelous portrait of Gage Schubert sitting on a llama playing a cane as if it were a flute was one such piece. Another was Carmen Gardner’s remarkable image of photographer Matt Thayer of The Maui News. It will make one want to pose while he gets the shot.
Pat Masumoto’s self-portrait with her 101-year-old mother, Florence Hasagawa, was not ready for the challenge, but it sure is ready for this show. If this work doesn’t make you smile with joy, then you may want get to the E.R. to make certain you’re still with us.
Next to Masumoto is John Woodruff’s Mad Magazine-like image of Don Nelson’s infamous poker game. Nelson—who is the head coach of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors—is flanked by Willie Nelson, then comes realtor Jim Sanders and every rogue on Maui. It would be fun to have a pool to see who could name all of the characters in the painting. Might make a good fundraiser.
One of the largest works in the show is by Michael Takemoto. Two very prominent members of the state’s arts community were overheard saying, “Michael has finally found his way,” and “This is the best thing I have ever seen by him.” While I would not go that far (I have loved everything by him I’ve seen), it’s the most accessible and nonpolitical work he has ever shown.
Speaking of political, Sharon Dahl’s portrait of our former vice president is the most overtly political art in the show.
Along with Takemoto, another artist who has toiled in obscurity for years, as far as the exhibition goes, is Jefferson Stillwell. If one eats at one of Maui’s best-kept secrets—Main Street Bistro in Wailuku—one will be familiar with Stillwell. Chef Tom Selman has been exhibiting him for years.
James Hanlon is back, and his two fighters will remind one of the work of illustrator extraordinaire George Bellows. The winner of the Schaefer Portrait Challenge, Richard Hevner also has a piece in the show that most agree is even better than his prize winner.
Another large painting is by Lisa Kasprzycki. This enchanting acrylic on wood demonstrates an almost supernatural quality of light. Look at the left hand of the woman. It’s as if the light was coming from the flower. It’s a magnificent piece.
The state has reserved more than $31,000 worth of work by eight artists, and another $11,000 was sold on pledge-purchase night.
Art Maui continues to July 5. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and before Castle Theater shows and during intermission.
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