Reviews

Art "Genius" at Artists on Central
By J. S. Smith

We have a name for artists with raw talent that takes their skill level to the extremes and we call that artist "a pure genius". Mike Jones is such a "genius". He moved to Memphis just three years ago with all the bag and baggage that comes with making life changes but along with those changes came a renewed urge to paint.

Born in Pennsylvania, Mike's roots have always been in Tennessee. At the age of 10 he moved from the city to rural West Tennessee Here he spent his teen years walking the woods and fields around his house, fascinated by the random beauty that nature carves out of a creek bed or the way that light filters through a stand of pines. Perhaps that's what began Mike's search to capture these images in his art for trees, trees, and lots of trees show up in his artwork.

Though self taught, Mike feels that his artwork is more of a compulsion than a hobby or pleasant past time. As Mike says, "whether it's good or not, it's what I do, it's why I'm here, it's my purpose in life." And that passion has created an extremely realistic and impressionistic painting style that depicts strong colors, strong contrasts, and strong lighting.

"I saw Mike's work at the Cooper-Young Festival last year and literally stopped in my tracks," says art curator, Jane Croy. "At first glance I thought his work was photography, but then I looked closer as all the other bystanders watched him painting in his booth on Cooper. He sold nearly everything he had on display that day so I knew we had to have his work at the gallery for a show."

Less than six months later, Mike Jones and Artists on Central Art Gallery got together for the April show titled "Me - At Last" featuring his extreme realism and impressionistic paintings. Beginning with an Opening Reception in conjunction with Cooper Young's first Night Out on April 3rd from 5 til 9 and continuing through April 30 guests can se this "budding genius" artwork at the gallery located at 2256 Central Ave.

Judge for yourself, but for a self taught artist who only began seriously painting in the last 5 years, Mike Jones has all the makings of an artist for the collectors and lovers of the true skills of fine paintings among us.