A little girl with brown pigtails makes a trip with her family to Colombia and there, befriends two chickens. And so begins the story of “What Happened to the Chickens?”, the latest exhibition of Yvonne Lozano’s work at The Art Center in Jacksonville.
Yvonne Lozano’s work is autobiographical, each painting telling the story of a particular childhood memory or even just the memory of the feeling of being a kid. Upon first glance at her style, you may think “A child could have done that”, which is exactly the point! Her simple, faceless figures look initially like a child’s creation, but look a little more closely and you will see a layering of glazes and accomplished drawing skills.
Yvonne has created a storyboard format for these works, some finished paintings, some watercolor sketches, so that it seems that you are “reading” a book in progress. The small sketches reiterate the childlike quality to the work and the “story” itself reads like a wonderful children’s book! ( I personally think it is only a matter of time until we see Yvonne as a children’s literature author & illustrator! ).
“What Happened to the Chickens?” is a story after all, so I don’t want to give too much away. If you’re in Jacksonville, please make some time to visit The Art Center gallery downtown to see & “read” this charmingly familiar childhood story.
The Art Center Cooperative gallery space is located at 31 W. Adams Street in downtown Jacksonville, FL. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-3pm.
To see more of Yvonne’s work, visit her website, YCLArt and be sure to “fan” her Facebook page!
I have a weakness for Abstract Expressionism. I’m not sure what it is about the paintings of that time and the artists who created them, but there is just something about these works that move me. Maybe it is the experimentation, or the emotionality behind them or the rebellion against a post-WWII saccharine society.