Last week I had the chance to visit the studio of Bushwick based painter, Jamie Powell . Powell's work * combines a sense of humor and a conceptual approach to painting, with a consideration of formal, and process oriented elements. High key, artificial color and simplified forms work to achieve a lively and unsettling vision. The dominant shapes make a forthright, fun statement that is constantly undermined by the importance placed on traditionally serious, formal elements (that often lurk in the supports themselves) and a striking and thoughtful attention to detail. Powell's well considered paintings seems akin to incisive political humor - in that "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" . Currently, Powell's work can be seen in the group exhibition, Geometry Poems , on view at Janet Kurnatowski Gallery until March 23rd. ...