Those who've been wishing for something new from Charlotte artist Jerry Lee Kirk can consider themselves lucky. In his new exhibit, The Gathering of Wishes Unfulfilled, Kirk strays from his usual Q.C.-area landscapes and revisits the surreal settings of his fantasy-framed narratives.
Kirk seeks to convey statements about current society and the human condition. In "We Still Remember the Day When the Optimist Came to Town," Kirk shows happy children and a well-dressed man — the "optimist" — with an open suitcase that's unleashing colorful balloons. Their pathway is surrounded by dark hues and shadowed figures grimacing on the sidelines. The optimist isn’t based off of a particular person.