It’s the circle of art with Lincoln Maynard

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An example of Lincoln Maynard’s art, on display at Mastrioni’s Cafe.

Lincoln Maynard knows that someday he will die, and he believes that the best part about his artwork is that it – unlike us – will not.

This sentiment shows within the local artist’s latest offering. His Power of Circles exhibit, now on display at Mastrioni’s Café in Summerlin, uses recycled drumheads set in canvases created with discarded staging materials.

“The materials had a previous life and function,” he says. “I am allowing it to live further. They’ll outlive me – this is cool. It might sit in an attic and grandma’s house until some kid comes across it and either goes, ‘Wow’ or ‘Ew.’ That’s cool.”

Maynard acquires the materials through a staging company he runs. At first, he only used the drumheads for mixing materials in, but soon his composition was thrown off by the circles. He began to be fascinated by the shape of the objects.

“Circles are so consuming in life,” he says. “Everything is circular. There’s the circle of life, the planet we live on, etc.”

This, he adds, is difficult to see sometimes in a flat desert – where linear elements are stressed much more than circular ones. Maynard, who has lived in Las Vegas since 1963, explains that once he embraced the concept of circles, the artwork in the gallery simply came in sequences and his prolific style of creating art couldn’t be stopped.

Lincoln Maynard stresses recycling in his art, which employs used drums and staging materials as canvases.

According to Maynard, he is working on three to four pieces of artwork at any given time. Most of his pieces are painted over others that simply didn’t feel right. As for knowing when the work is finished, Maynard says the paints tell him.

An example of Lincoln Maynard's art now on display at Mastrioni's Cafe.

“It’s cliché,” he admits. “But it’s as simple as that and as complicated as that.”

When he looks at the work and feels something, he realizes the piece is complete. Luckily for him, others are also taking notice and feeling things about his artwork.

Laura Zoller, fellow local artist and curator for Mastrioni’s Café, did. She brought the exhibit to the café.

“It’s dynamic yet sublime,” Zoller says of Maynard’s work. “It has an indigenous feel, very earthy tones.”

Power of Circles debuted July 10 and will run through October at Mastrioni’s Café. All of Maynard’s pieces are for sale, priced from $1,700 to $6,200.

The restaurant, only four months old, has emphasized artwork since the beginning. Within the next two months, Mastrioni’s plans to expand the restaurant to include more seating and more places for art, including pedestals where statues can be featured.

The changing professional artwork adds a new dimension the customer’s dining experience, Zoller said. Mastrioni’s specializes in fresh seafood and Italian cuisine. The artwork, prominently displayed on the walls, adds a touch of class that completes the already intimate setting.

Its Summerlin setting – Mastrioini’s is located on the southeast corner of Desert Inn Road and Hualapai Way – also means that locals can get a touch of the arts without traveling to the arts district downtown or Strip.

“It’s great to find someone who supports the local arts,” Maynard says.

Zoller agrees, but adds jokingly that being a curator for a restaurant presents one unique challenge: “The art has to be gastronomically acceptable.”

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