By Paul Varnell

Contributing writer

The April exhibition of gay and lesbian art at the Center on Halsted focuses on the seasonally appropriate theme of flowers—flowers of all sorts: Roses, water lilies, daisies, dahlias and hyacinths among them.

The exhibition includes 21 works by 15 artists and photographers, although two of the paintings are triptychs. Most of the artists are represented by just one piece although a few are represented by two or three works.

Most of the pieces, especially those by photographers, seem to focus closely on a single blossom, as if leaving it to Mother Nature to provide the beauty or excitement of the image. But, in fact, most, if not all, of the photographs have been processed in sine way—enhancing color, heightening contrast, clearing up imperfections in the original, blurring or sharpening focus, etc.

Several of the pieces are worth special mention. The single most beautiful piece is the show is also the smallest—a delicately hued 6-inch by 8-inch watercolor by Scott Stoltman of a pink and white rose. Unfortunately, it is stuck inconspicuously at the far north end of the exhibition where some people may overlook it.

Photographer Michael Mitz has one of the best eyes for color. Each of his three photographs—”Dahlia Sun,” “Glass Rose” and “White Hyacinth”—make subtle adjustments in shading to highlight the original color of the blossoms he focuses on. Of the three, “White Hyacinth” seems the most striking because of its burst of pure white against a restrained palette.

A large photograph by Steve Becker titled “Rose” also deserves mention for its profusion of bright red. The photograph focuses on a red rose against a somewhat blurred background of other red roses. The hues are nearly the same, but just enough different to create foreground and background supporting the differences in focus. It is one piece where the digital manipulations are evident but work to good effect anyway.

One of the few departures from a focus on individual blossoms is Rowen Murphy’s teasingly titled “Woman with Flowers: Berlin 1925.” It depicts the head and torso or a woman wearing a hat and blouse with floral motifs. The place and date suggest a touch of decadence, perhaps sexual exoticism, in freewheeling pre-Nazi Germany, although the only evidence in the painting might be her prominent beauty spot.

Marilee Hodges’ painting, “White Poppies,” is a triptych of three interrelated paintings of long-stemmed poppies. Stems in one painting, for instance, lead to blossoms in an adjacent painting. But the white flowers and green stems against a darker background create a low key beauty that contrasts gracefully against the high-saturation reds, oranges and yellows of most of the other paintings.

It is no criticism of the other pieces to limit additional mentions to a piece by John Cotter, “Catching Rays,” and Jesus Solis’ “Water Lily 1.” There are other attractive works as well and deciding for oneself which of them one likes best is part of the fun of visiting an exhibition.

Considered individually, the works focusing on a single blossom are attractive and would be a welcome addition to a living or dining room. But grouping so many together in an exhibition can dilute the impact of each. No doubt curator David Joseph chose wisely from what was available, but one would have hoped to see more images of flowers in a larger pictorial context—bouquets of different flowers, still-lifes with flowers or even landscapes with flowers. Maybe next year.

“Sprung,” painting and photography of flowers at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, in the second floor main hallway. Open every day 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Exhibition runs through April 3.