 by Tom Schimmel
If you’ve never been to Gallery Co or the Wyman building, it’s an architectural anomaly that even Frank Lloyd Wright would dig. He might not understand why, but he would be fascinated with the strange quirks and the beautiful light and the floor plans.
 So
yeah, bring the kids, the moms and the dads, and the rest of us—anyone
can have a good time here. The staff is friendly and the paintings are extremely
well hung. Punny, but true. Gallery Co is very talented at display and use of
space. The map is concise, easy to read, and lists prices and medium. Curator
John Hock is an experienced pro who knows how to keep the atmosphere classy,
smart and relaxed all at the same time. Park by the Army surplus store and notice
how your shoulder muscles relax when you get your first look at things.
I first wanted to come to see the paintings of Duk Ju L. Kim from Chicago. The
unexpected invite I got in the mail showed a painting called “Portrait”
that looked like incredibly complex and beautiful craft work. Viewing it in
person, I can see that Kim has a busy mind and an acute awareness of being trapped
by too much information. At 24 square feet, the muslin cloth adds a rich glow
to her oil mixes. Talented indeed—and fairly priced. It seems that (3)
will sell out.
Artist John Salhaus has produced 11 works of quiet complexity that could hang
anywhere without controversy. Small business owners with aesthetic concerns
should go shopping here. Salhaus is good with the oils. His work could hang
in your living room, your office or a lobby. Probably you could afford to buy
all 11. But if you do, make sure and ask him to finish off the horizontal edges
of his canvases. I’m not sure what the deal is there, but they need to
be painted.
Meanwhile, I have a number of restaurants in mind that would benefit greatly
from the purchase of something by Tracy Miller from New York. Her work is big
food fun. No fufu here or traditional still life. More like food collages that
look from a distance like they were done with Photoshop. But get closer and
you’ll see oil paint that looks like cake frosting—beautiful pop
art impressions of all the major American food groups. Miller has a child’s
eye for humor and a sharp talent with oil paint. If you were eating at Miller’s
restaurant, you would never be bored. Better than TV, her work is the most expensive
of the group, but easily affordable by most restaurants. If you’re not
too snooty for a can of Budweiser, you should take a look.
Especially if your restaurant is ugly. ||
(3) runs through September 10 at Gallery Co., 400 First Ave. N.,
Suite 710, Mpls. 612-332-5252
GalleryCo.net
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