Looking up Congress Street from Monument Square, the fog was shrouded over Munjoy Hill and creeping down to the center of intown Portland. Summer temperatures availed and the sidewalks bustled with outdoor diners, gallery strollers and September "Seasoned" travelers that energize our economy during Indian summer. It was a great evening for the "Back to School" First Friday Art Walk and I was looking forward to returning to the swing of things now that our July 4th - Labor Day "lazy days of summer" was behind us. In Maine, we indulge in "nice days" like we have "snow days" during our longest season!
The energy felt on the streets did not transcended into the galleries. In fact, attendance was very minimal. But I did find a couple of exhibits that interested me because of their mediums and refreshing execution.
At SPACE GALLERY, http://space538.org/, kyle durrie presents a collection of quill pen and ink line drawings that are reminiscent of vintage geographical topography illustrations. Her interest in maps, charts and geometric shapes is evident and combined with her art history education, the marriage of art influence with clean. architectural lines and shapes creates a refreshing, new interpretation of pen and ink. Kyle feels the old fashioned quill pen is instrumental in the execution and achievement of her desired look.
At THE DANIEL KANY GALLERY http://dkany.com/, it's the creations in the rear room that captured my attention and heart. Tucked in a corner, one very toothy whale and an equally friendly school of fish called me to closer examination. Prehistoric in presence, each piece could have been excavated from the Fore River. But they weren't. They are 21st century works from Benjamin Lambert. 
It all began with a tooth! The thought of implanting bad human teeth in a form as unnatural as a fish tickled Benjamin's"funny bone." Then came the utensil appendages, positioned to propel but functionally useless as a mobility source or for serving up nourishment. Under the gills are a set of geometric forms intended to be the immobile beasts energy source. Oxygen , collected through its gills and transmitted through a lateral tube on the under body , will eventually reach the fish or whale tail and produce the power necessary to propel. Are we seeing creations as originally intended, with teeth and utensils that became extinct due to lack of use? Did they go the way of the dinosaur?
It's the imaginative creations of "Friendly Jonah and the School of Fish" and the possibility that just maybe they did exist at one time that I find so compelling. As Ben explained to me, "This fish should be confusing and uncanny. I want it to be respected for its ability to cope with its odd peripherally constructed condition."
Constructed with Stoneware, each creature is thrown to about the size and shape Ben ultimately envisions. Through the settling process and patience, the vision for each piece emerges . With a clear personality in sight, Ben begins the molding and appendage attachment procedure that develops the "raw" beauty. The process of drying, first firing, glazing and final firing to Cone 6 temperatures (2165 - 2169 degrees Fahrenheit) in an electric kiln ensues.
As I make very clear, I'm not an art critic but a patron of the arts. What captures me is when I see the soul of the artist in their work. With both the quill and ink drawings of kyle durrie and the amazing creations of Benjamin Lambert, I felt touched by their soul. If you can catch these two exhibits, DO! I would love to hear what you think of these two significant emerging artists.
Till October 3 and the next First Friday Art Walk in Portland, enjoy and celebrate the arts. They abound.
