ART: Mark Messersmith at The Butler

I love love love the work of Mark Messersmith! It defies category. It’s organic. It’s fantasy. It’s romantic. It’s scientific drawings with brilliant jewel colors plus plenty of sparkle. It’s like John James Audubon meets Dolly Parton and exciting things happen. It’s a look into the past and at the same time a look towards the future. It’s an experience both universal and personal. It combines sculpture, chip carving, bas relief, bright colors, and glitter. What more is there?

But the main reason I love Mark Messersmith’s work is when you stand in front of it, it reaches out and grabs you and pulls you inside, into this magical world of the lush tropical beauty of Florida’s vast and diverse flora and fauna. 

Once inside, there is so much that catches your eye and competes for your attention. Birds. Butterflies. Leaves. Trees. Fish. Sunlight streaming off tree bark. A snake. 

You are thrilled! But also slightly scared. It is a happy place with a dreamy, almost fantasy-like aura. Yet it speaks to the ever-shrinking habit these beautiful plants and creatures share and a fear for their tomorrow. 

These gorgeous masterpieces defy time of year or time of day. They defy era. And every time you look at it, you see something new and exquisite.

Big, big kudos to Butler Institute of American Art, the gem of Mahoning County in Youngstown, Ohio. This was the most beautiful of all the Mark Messersmith exhibits I have ever seen. It was truly breathtaking. Other museums displayed the large, multi-media masterpieces on white or beige walls. But the Butler showed them against an almost jewel-like green. Organic. Nature-inspired. Allowing one to immerse themselves in these gorgeous garden paradise jungle rooms. 

This exhibit runs through September 24, 2023. In my opinion it is a must see.

 

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