A show to see

 I can't really review the Noriko Sakanishi show at June Fitzpatrick, partly because the schedule doesn't work out, but also because I've written about her a lot over the years. I don't have much that's fresh to say.

Even so, when I got to the show recently, I got more than I expected. I think Sakanishi is one of the best artists working in Maine today, and this is one of the best shows I've seen by her. It's a mix of her large wall pieces, a number of drawings and some collages.

The big drawings were new to me, and I found them riveting. Her big wall pieces have her familiar authority. The little collages are as good as any I have ever seen - if you allow them enough time, they give you goosebumps. The Portland Museum missed the mark by not including them in their recent collage show. For that matter, they have not collected any of Sakanishi's work thus far, a big hole in their collection of Maine art. She has been working here for over forty years and is way overdue for a major museum show.

This is a show that anyone with a serious interest in art should see.