I don’t think of my paintings as documentation, but rather an inspirational starting point for a painting. Edward Hopper said, “What I wanted to do was to paint the sunlight on the side of the house.” That quote captures my intent perfectly. I’m looking for a composition that makes me want to paint. I feel I have done that with this series of paintings. I feel that this is my strongest body of work I have completed over my many exhibition. –John Ferry, 2023

John Ferry’s recent paintings continue his lifelong inspiration and love of architecture and the built environment. The cities, that he has explored, from Detroit to Rome, are the catalyst for Ferry’s painted investigations of color, light, texture and space. Forgotten or overlooked urban spaces, such as alleyways or fire escapes, are shown in exaggerated vertical formats that express the very character of what is being depicted. This extreme format emphasizes the gesture of light and the narrow slice of sky between buildings emphasizes the tension of space in the city. Ferry’s use of format, as an essential design element, is equally successful in the long horizontal paintings of the mid-century modern Farnsworth house. Format and composition are paired in a variety of ways in the paintings of Rome. The Colosseum in Rome was the perfect subject to illustrate the grandeur and permanence of architecture shaped by the passage of time. In the Colosseum paintings, color and texture define light and shadow and the beauty of decay.

John Ferry is a Professor serving in the Illustration Department at the Kansas City Art Institute. Straight and Narrow is his 20^th one-person show. John Ferry’s paintings are in the permanent collections of The Wichita Center for the Arts, KS; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; H&R Block, KC, MO; Negro League Baseball Museum, KC, MO; Federal Reserve Bank; KC, MO; and others. John Ferry lives and paints in Prairie Village, KS with his wife Amy and two daughters Katherine and Paige.

This exhibition is a sample of ongoing discoveries within two separate themes. Thinking back on almost a half century of image-making there is diversity in what interests my heart and eye. The word beauty has been a central theme from the beginning. It may be an out-of-date word, but I will stick with it. Beauty elevates the soul and describes the inner state of being in a place of wonder. I have always looked for subject matter that has an inherent sense of rising above its commonly recognizable form and that lifts me to a place of deep satisfaction. I respond to things that are often in plain sight, yet possess a “WOW” factor that comes by looking intently and allowing the subject to reveal its inner beauty. Photography, for all its innate documentation, has the potential to carry us into a place where reality begins to border on another realm, where the unintended beauty of the subject actually becomes something very special. It is more than just what the eye sees, it is where the heart engages in things that words can only play with.

What struck me about the pairing of grain facades and quarry environments was that both subjects are easily recognizable yet offer that window of higher potential. Neither silos nor quarries are made for esthetics. They aren’t intended to be visually appealing; they are intended to serve a function. Yet I believe that both offer more. I became interested in quarries and grain facilities in the early 1990s. They were just part of my ongoing discoveries as I sought significant subject matter.

I remain active in making images, I think in part because I have remained inquisitive and love the positive pursuit of the elusive, always looking for something to reveal its potential. In a sense, I go out to take images; but maybe more importantly, they have come to me. It’s as if there is a space inside of me, kind of like a room, that loves to collect scenes of unintended beauty.

-Michael Schultz

Most of our members have been long-time print collectors and will be sharing some of their most treasured pieces from their personal collections. Several of these will be on sale.

In addition, we are premiering our first-ever commissioned print suite. This combines 4 etchings of the West Bottoms that hang as a set from artist Doug Osa. 

For over 30 years, Doug has chronicled the changing scene of the West Bottoms district in etchings. He first started this suite with a gift print to the Print Society in 2011, adding the second print the next year. The final 2 images were created this year and complete the suite. It is now available for members at a reduced price. Individual prints can be purchased separately for those who already own the first and second image.

New members signing up at the show will, for the low membership fee, get the member’s discounted price! For more information, please click on this link. 

FIRST FRIDAY OCT. 6th
Open Studio/Gallery — FALL SALE
4pm to 8pm

1920 Wyandotte St., Unit 5,
Kansas City, Mo. 64108
(entry at NW corner of building, follow signs)

Visit my Website — www.annegarneypaintings.com

On the website, you can now purchase Paintings and Prints directly
and you can also arrange private Studio Visits. At the Open House,
Prints will be available — some on Canvas Framed — all at discounted prices. 

Looking forward to seeing you all!! Anne 816 – 842-3388