Observing Turman’s paintings installed in MAM’s Aresty Gallery, it is striking how clear his ideas are, how unobstructed, and how immediate they are to grasp, as well as how they build on one another to offer a complex, interrelated whole. Walking around the exhibit, a series of aphorisms or maxims present themselves: 1) small things matter, 2) little things can carry big ideas, 3) a sustained practice adds up, 4) art is available for everyone, 5) one person can do many different things, 6) the artist gives his viewer permission, 7) these pieces are accessible yet sophisticated, 8) art can be fun, and 9) while each piece has a lifetime of skill and art historical knowledge behind it, the viewer can absorb it immediately. It is amazing that Turman communicates all of this in very short order, non-verbally.

 

–Brandon Reintjes

Senior Curator, Missoula Art Museum