Karen Jilly, whose painting Misfit is pictured at the top of this newsletter, is the subject of a well-deserved 25-year survey at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, AZ, through March 19th (opening reception, Friday, February 10th). As the center’s website notes, “Jilly captures architectural elements that are often ignored or overlooked in a metropolitan setting. Focusing on the lines and structures created by freeway columns, telephone poles, and construction scaffolding, her images evoke a sense of time and transformation, and serve as a metaphor for the fragility of life.” Karen herself says Misfit offers metaphors for the building of one’s existence. “The scarred, scrubbed-out, and burned and rendering speaks to history and strife,” she writes. “The left side of the image is intentionally off-kilter, with a support girder that is left hanging, not offering any support at all—hence ‘misfit.’ Yet, despite this, the overall structure perseveres with a majestic strength and pride.” —Ann Landi, Editor “Vasari 21″
misfit