Abstract Retrospective

The "color field" abstract painting style is usually characterized by flat planes of color presented as pure and striking compositions of form and color, without gesture or movement. The late Dan Christensen, a Kansas City Art Institute graduate, was a notable practitioner, though the range of his sizable body of work resists categorization. Through August 30, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (4420 Warwick, 816-561-0903) presents Dan Christensen: Forty Years of Painting, a survey of his work that features 35 paintings produced between 1966 and 2006. Christensen went through a number of periods, during which he reframed his interests and reinvented his career, expressing his work through new visual styles and experimenting with different tools. From early "Plaid" paintings to his late-career "Spot" paintings, the works at the Kemper represent an engaged and dynamic thinker. Attend a free opening reception tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, see kemperart.org.
Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Starts: May 15. Continues through Aug. 30, 2009