Art AT WORK

Ming C. Lowe is frequently refered to as a self-described neo-expressionist. The definition of expressionism is closely associated with the last half of the 20th century, when artists wanted to touch emotions as an antidote to the numbing trauma of years of war that took place starting with World War II.

Lowe uses a palette of dark colors, mostly harsh dirty grays and white accented by splashes of yellow and other bright colors, on some of her canvases. For dramatic effect, she can punctuate a canvas with a small red cross that seems to bleed. Her use of jagged edges suggests violence and evil. This technique seems to be a parody of traditional symbols that tends to give the picture worldliness and depth. Death seems to be a recurring theme in most of her work.

Lowe is a free spirit who has traveled the world collecting impressions and ideas for her work. She has been a desert resident for more than 20 years and is deeply involved witht eh local art world. Self-taught, she has had many exhibits since her first group show with the Long Beach Artist League in 1978. She has honed her skills  with classes at College of the Desert, La Jolla Art Center and a study through scholarship at The Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts with Francoise Gilot, a name often associated with Pablo Picasso. Her earlier works are part of the private collections of members of the Kingston Trio, the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, the animals, and the Velvet Underground.