MINIMALISM MEETS THE MARKET

Letitia Quesenberry received her BFA from the University of Cincinnati. She has had individual shows at Smack Mellon in Brooklyn New York, Gallery Hertz in Louisville, and Zephyr Gallery in Louisville. In fact, her work is being shown at Zephyr until March 29 (that is only two more days!). It is funny because this artist has shown her work on three other occasions at Zephyr and I have failed to see it until now. In fact, I had never even heard of Quesenberry before this year’s Zephyr show. And I am really involved in the art scene. I love gallery openings and I like to keep up with what is going on in the local market by visiting new shows. Somehow, this artist slipped by me…and I am sorry for it. Looking through Quesenberry’s portfolio from the last few years, I am stunned by her range, her changing focus, and her ability to stay true to her own vision.
In her current show, Quesenberry places figures against a stark ground. It is as if they have just walked in front of a movie screen with the projector blasting on them. The monotone background provides a foil for the shadows as well as contrasting the detailed sketches of the figures themselves. The artist’s use of color is also minimal and her style speaks to what is going on in the larger art market.Right now, minimalism is hot. At Christie’s on March 18-21, the Asian sale posted the highest figures ever boasting $80,068,489. And Asian, if you will recall, is a more streamlined, minimal style. If you look around, many of today’s successful artists are focusing more on minimalism and subtlety. In Louisville, that style is a little bit harder to find because collectors here tend to be more traditional. However, if your taste does run to more contemporary styles then Quesenberry’s work might be for you. Compared to many other cities in the U.S. we are really lucky to have an art market that is affordable and diverse.