Susan Wagner @ Geno's Restuarant

December 17, 2007
{art}Press

Starting out the evening at Geno's Restaurant, in Lawrenceville, we encountered Susan Wagner and her work. I'm most familiar with Susan as a sculptor of bronze, but this exhibition mainly highlighted her paintings. One of her most visible pieces is the Roberto Clemente sculpture at PNC Park. 

Here at Geno's, where you can grab some dinner while attending the show, Susan's paintings are just as sculptural as her three dimensional pieces. Three pieces in particular that stand out, are three paintings of large cats, a tiger, a lion and a leopard. It was interesting to see that the animal paintings actually resemble the artist; and, after speaking with her more, I found out that indeed she thought of the large cats as her "totem" or her protectors. There actually is a painting depicting the dream that she had when her "totem" came to her (a tiger and the artist are entwined, not able to tell where the tiger ends and Susan begins). Susan also had a few paintings of  Steelers players.
 
My favorite part of the show was Susan's holiday hearts: small canvases with a single heart on a solid background, rendered with thick painted brush strokes. These hearts come in multiple color combinations, and when the small canvases are put together they form a larger piece, which is a great way for the individual to customize. These are a perfect gift; it doesn't have to be a holiday because everyday is a holiday with the holiday hearts.