The Right Angle

The Right Angle, opening Friday night in the Harrison Gallery, features new work from Phillip Lynam, Hannah Barnes, John Berry, and Quincy Owens. This show takes a step away from the more realistic, representational style of art that has been featured in the Harrison Gallery in recent months. Each artist is distinct, but their colors and patterns all mesh well together.

Phillip Lynam

Hannah Barnes

Philip Lyman and Hannah Barnes are perhaps the most similar in style, but what really sets them apart is the process by which the create their pieces. Barnes focuses on layering geometric patterns over each other to create intricate designs. And while Lynam also layers patterns, his geometric designs actually come from taping off parts of his piece. The shapes he paints are very organic, and it’s the tape that creates the more rigid lines. As described by curator Kyle Ragsdale, Lynam paints through the architecture while Barnes paints inside it.

John Berry

John Berry’s style is the most representational of the four. He draws from the geometric patterns that can be seen in everyday life. The bricks in the wall of building, the ripples in a river, the swirls in wood grain are often featured in his work. Berry combines the patterns of everyday objects with soft shapes and bright colors to create his fascinating compositions.

Quincy Owens

Quincy Owens’s paintings incorporate the softest, most organic shapes of the four artists. However, his painting style is very similar to that of Hannah Barnes and Philip Lynam in that he also focuses on layering his patterns. He uses a range of bright colors and organic swirls as a way to explore and celebrate the aging process--something that could be considered a bad thing--with his 40th birthday just around the corner. Happy Birthday, Quincy.

The Right Angle hangs through May 26.