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visual arts by Carole Badgley Power Girls: A Brash, Evocative View I t has been suggested that " t h e p o w e r behind the t h r o n e " is a w o m a n w h o asserts h e r a u t h o r i t y o r influence w i t h o u t having f o r m a l status. C h a r l e s ( C h a r l i e ) Mayrs e x p l o r e s t h e r o l e of c o r p o r a t e w o m e n in his series of paintings and drawings entitled Power Girls, w h i c h is o n exhibit at the S e y m o u r A r t G a l l e r y A p r i l 14 t o May 12. T h e images reflect toughness, aggression, s e x u a l ity, and may cause t h e v i e w e r t o w o n d e r w h a t m o t i v a t e s M a y r s as an artist. M a y r s a t t e n d e d t h e V a n c o u v e r S c h o o l of A r t in t h e late 1950s. Perhaps he was t o o strongly influenced by the ravages of K o o l cigarettes (he n o l o n g e r s m o k e s ) , the s o u p f r o m the cafeteria a c r o s s the street f r o m the s c h o o l (his always came w i t h a hair floating a m o n g s t the vegetables), o r t h e m e m o r a b l e s c h o o l bus trip t o Seattle t o v i e w the von Gogh e x h i b i t i o n . M o r e than likely, this v e r y t a l e n t e d man's artistic skills w e r e e n h a n c e d by lessons l e a r n e d f r o m s o m e r e m a r k a b l y gifted V a n c o u v e r S c h o o l of A r t instructors. A t that t i m e , w h i l e a r t s c h o o l students a g o n i z e d o v e r w h e t h e r o r n o t t o g o into c o m m e r c i a l art u p o n g r a d u a t i o n , M a y r s m a d e a f i r m c o m m i t m e n t t o w o r k in t h e field of advertising. O v e r the years, he has b e e n the recipient of many A C A ( A s s o c i a t i o n of C a n a d i a n A d v e r t i s e r s ) G o l d Medals as w e l l as g o l d awards f r o m t h e A d v e r t i s i n g and D e s i g n C l u b of C a n a d a for his creative advertising projects; h o w e v e r , he always c o n t i n u e d t o d r a w and paint the human f o r m in his private life. In 1991, C h a r l i e , the youngest b r o t h e r of Frank, Bill and D a v i d Mayrs -- a l l artists, j o i n e d his b r o t h e r s in their o w n g r o u p s h o w at the D i a n e Farris G a l l e r y . M y husband and I w e r e travelling in N e w B r u n s w i c k d u r i n g the s h o w and, although w e w e r e unhappy that w e could not attend, we w e r e delighted t o read in t h e N e w B r u n s w i c k n e w s p a p e r s that t h e i r s h o w was a m a j o r event. S o m e years ago, maybe as many as 15, Mayrs s u r p r i s e d m e w i t h a change in his painting style. H i s w o r k began t o take o n a s t r o n g feeling f o r c a r i c a t u r e . H i s rogue gallery i n c l u d e d A l a n F o t h e r i n g h a m , o t h e r r e k n o w n s . and m e , n o less! In my p o r t r a i t , he u s e d the basic In his latest series of paintings, w h i c h are n o t " p r e t t y " paintings, M a y r s ' style is c r u d e and r o u g h ; he uses raw c o l o u r s . T h e figures w e a r masks. "I feel the masks p o r t r a y t h e s e c r e t p e r s o n in all of us. W e all have fantasies and s e c r e t s , and the masks are just p a r t of the e q u a t i o n , " says M a y r s . W o m e n are the subject m a t t e r in Power Girls. W h y w o m e n ? M a y r s ' a n s w e r is, F e m i n i s t s -- 1 9 9 2 S e r i e s (Detail). Coloured pen on paper " B e c a u s e I believe there are statements t o be caricature methods, for example, elongation and e x a g g e r a t i o n . But, after the s u r p r i s e of seeing myself t h r o u g h M a y r s ' eyes, t h e backg r o u n d -- c o m p o s e d of raw, jagged, c o l o u r e d s h a p e s -- c a p t u r e d my i n t e r e s t . T h e shapes w e r e tribal and mystical. M a u i B e a c h B a b e s (Detail) 1997. Coloured p e n and ink on paper 48' x 36" Fun-loving Charlie enjoys nothing more than to make a fool of himself when the commands. to Mary since occasion married together think maybe who He's been 1961, and they have five children he is the greatest--but just a tad strange