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Fort Mason Foundation Main Office Lobby, Building A
"I am an artist in love with the city," states
Mike Kimball, whose exhibit "City Line" opens at
the Fort Mason Foundation main office lobby in January. "I
am drawn to the visual imagery of the urban landscape."
The power of that imagery is readily apparent in Kimball’s
works. Brilliant color, strong line, deep shadows – these
all play a part in his art.
"Whenever I look at the city I end up seeing it in terms
of patterns and textures and layered geometry. It’s all
in plain sight if you think to look for it," says the
artist.
One glance at Kimball’s works and you immediately know
that to be true. His "Tadich Grill" is a geometric
study in shades of gray. The same can be said of "Financial
District," a dramatic image of skyscrapers at sunset.
The artist’s brilliantly colored Tokyo images are a kaleidoscopic
view of the city at night. Squint your eyes and the buildings
become glimmering rectangles and squares set against an inky
sky.
 Even
when not depicting buildings, as in "Oakland 3 p.m.",
an acrylic painting of a loaded flatbed, Kimball’s focus
is geometric, with the angularity of the crates in sharp contrast
to the rounded tires.
The exhibit title "City Line" has a double meaning.
While the exhibit’s main theme is the linearity of city
landscapes, "line" also can refer to the drawn and
painted line. Kimball is an artist not only in love with the
geometry of the city, but also with the means to represent
it.
Kimball is a veteran artist with dozens of exhibits in his
past. He is also the recipient of many awards, most notably
the Yozo Hamaguchi scholarship for printmaking excellence,
an honor he received twice. He has also been a recent invited
artist-in-residence at the Frans Masereel Centrum in Kasterlee,
Belgium.
"City Line" is on display in Building A from January
9 through February 17. A reception with the artist is on January
11. See Galleries and January 11 in the calendar for more
information. Visit www.mesart.com/mkimball
to see examples of Mike Kimball’s art.
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– Jovanne Reilly
Images: "Skyline" and "Oakland 3 p.m."
by Mike Kimball
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