ALMOST BLACK and WHITE @ The Curator Gallery

Douglas Witmer  /  Laura Duerwald  /  Diane Tate DallasKidd

Installation view with paintings by Douglas Witmer / photo courtesy of The Curator Gallery

For readers familiar with my preoccupation with painting in black and white, it will come as no surprise that I was eager to see this exhibit. As I wrote in a post several years ago, describing a painting (or anything else for that matter) as 'black and white' appears to be straightforward. However, no matter what the context, blacks and whites are complex, varied, and often filled with subtlety. As colors in the toolbox of a visual artist, they can be warm or cool, dense or atmospheric, luminous or flat. While describing a situation as black and white suggests it can be viewed with clarity, what appears to be a black and white painting is often something quite complex. From a distance, the surface of a painting might look smooth and unarticulated, the forms within it sharp and decisive, but closer examination may reveal a painterly history of loose brushwork, blobs and scratches, as well as edges that are anything but declarative.

By shaping this exhibit around paintings that are mostly black and white, it offers an opportunity to consider what is distinctive about the intention and process of each artist, since their work is already linked by palette. This is not to suggest that the reduced palette is of little consequence, but rather that the context of the exhibit opens up additional avenues for looking at their work. It is also worth examining the role that geometry plays in the work of each of these artists as an additional thread connecting the paintings on exhibit.

Installation view with paintings by Diane Tate DallasKidd (left) and Laura Duerwalkd (right) / photo courtesy of The Curator Gallery

   
DOUGLAS WITMER
The paintings of Witmer exert a quiet, but insistent hold on this viewer. They beckon patiently and provide an opportunity for extended dialogue. Each painting opens up a broad perceptual space for those willing to take the time to engage with it and while generally intimate in size, each painting offers a sense of expansive space. Witmer's materials, limited to black gesso and acrylic on canvas, belie the complexity of the work.
 

DOUGLAS WITMER  Untitled, 2017 (left) and Untitled, 2017 (right).  black gesso and acrylic on canvas. 10 x 8" each

Witmer's geometry is most often soft-edged, and his compositions spare, lending an aura of possibility, rather than certainty. The tentative geometry along the edges of each painting indicates a preference for suggestion, which seems central to Witmer's intention. While in several paintings Witmer makes a more emphatic statement with his geometry, the thin veils of paint, matte surfaces, and subtle variations across the field express ambiguity, rather than inevitability. 

DOUGLAS WITMER  Winterbrook (six panel set), 2017   black gesso and acrylic on canvas    17x14" each

In a nod to the 'almost' in the exhibit title, one canvas by Witmer most emphatically steps beyond the limits of black and white. Considerably larger than the rest of his paintings in the exhibit When In Doubt, 2015, 48x37", has a commanding presence in the gallery. It combines a more defined geometry with an intensely saturated blue field--a seeming contradiction to the painting's title. Nonetheless, Witmer steps back from that certainty in his handling of the edges of the painting. His paintings are an invitation to wonder, rather than a directive of what to think or see.

DOUGLAS WITMER  When In Doubt, 2015  black gesso and acrylic on canvas   48 x 37"  /  photo courtesy of The Curator Gallery

LAURA DUERWALD
Duerwald has work from two series on exhibit (all dated 2017)--one boldly geometric and the other more pattern-based. Although not apparent when viewed from a distance, these paintings are actually collaged constructions (incorporating acrylic, graphite, paper, and wax over either canvas or linen). 

Installation view with paintings by LAURA DUERWALD

LAURA DUERWALD  Telemark XXVIII, 2017     graphite, acrylic, paper, wax on canvas over panel   24 x 20"

 

LAURA DUERWALD  left to right: Telemark XXIV, Telemark XXIII, Telemark XXI, 2017    acrylic, graphite, paper, wax on canvas over panel      each 16 x 12"

In contrast to Witmer's generally unobtrusive presence, Duerwald more directly demands our attention, particularly with the hard-edged geometry of the Telemark series. Her idiosyncratic black forms are balanced by white areas that are peppered with marks. While the geometry in these paintings is unequivocal, the edges of each form are nuanced and somewhat irregular, and the black fields are filled with subtle atmosphere. Duerwald balances the seeming certainty of her geometry with the ambiguity of her mark-making. 

Duerwald's Template paintings appear to loosely reference printed textiles. A wedge-like mark is repeated and varies in density as it moves across the surface. Closer examination reveals that these paintings have been painstakingly constructed through a repetitive process of painting and tearing numerous scraps of paper, and then affixing them to the canvas in gently undulating rows. Unlike the defined geometry of the Telemark paintings, these paintings have a more tentative, suggestive quality to them, despite the black and white palette.

LAURA DUERWALD  Template (Too Soon To Say Goodbye), 2017    acrylic, graphite, paper, wax on linen   42 x 60"

   LAURA DUERWALD   Detail from a Template painting

DIANE TATE DALLASKIDD
DallasKidd employs a systematic approach to her investigation of form and planes. Many of the works on exhibit depict the spatial effects of folding and flattening a rectangular, two-dimensional form. The paintings create the illusion of space as each folded and flattened sheet floats within a spare field, at times anchored along the painting's edge, but often disengaged from the edges. In an array of 9 small (8 x 10") paintings titled "Coming Undone", she offers many different manifestations of that exploration. While Duerwald's paintings are collaged constructions, DallasKidd creates illusion of collage by painting hard-edged, richly textured planes. 

DIANE TATE DALLASKIDD   Page 1, 2017   acrylic on wood panel    24 x 18"   /   photo courtesy of The Curator Gallery

DIANE TATE DALLASKIDD  Coming Undone No. 5, 2017   acrylic on wood panel   8x10"   /   photo courtesy of The Curator Gallery

DIANE TATE DALLASKIDD  Coming Undone No. 6, 2017   acrylic on wood panel   8x10"   /   photo courtesy of The Curator Gallery

Almost Black and White   /  through October 28  / The Curator Gallery   /  520 West 23rd St. NYC

Kellyann Burns and Siri Berg: Two approaches to geometric abstraction

It is of course not news that there has always been great diversity within the arena of geometric abstraction. Informed by the work of Mondrian and Malevich, generations of painters and sculptors have worked with the vocabulary of geometric shapes to convey their ideas about spatial relationships and color, as well as notions of time and spirituality. While some artists within this tradition have chosen to remove evidence of the making (creating uninflected surfaces with hard-edged forms), others have partnered geometry with lush and more painterly approaches. Some artists developed pattern-based systems for developing their compositions, while others have relied on intuition in developing their ideas. The work ranges in scale from intimate to monumental and may present as cerebral or celebratory. Clearly, the universe of geometric abstraction  encompasses a wide range of expressive possibilities.

Two exhibits currently on view in Lower East Side galleries offer a glimpse of different approaches within the realm of geometric abstraction and make evident the limits of trying to define this tradition in simple terms. At the end of the post are links to additional resources about geometric abstraction.


KELLYANN BURNS     [McKenzie Fine Art through February 8] 
In an exhibit of approximately twenty paintings (completed in 2013-2014), Burns offers boldly hued, hard-edged abstraction imbued with complex history. She incorporates a variety of geometric forms into compositions with diverse spatial implications. The exhibit features several groupings of intimately sized paintings (10 x 8") as well as larger pieces (up to 60 x 60"). While each painting has been sanded to a smooth finish, its surface has richness and depth. Large areas of the surface are matte, while other areas are glossy. A close viewing often reveals underlayers that have been exposed by the repeated sanding. The edges of the paintings are uneven and rich with accumulated layers of paint, another way that Burns shares some of the history of the making.   Images courtesy McKenzie Fine Art.

KELLYANN BURNS   3:18 PM 9/22/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    60 x 60"

KELLYANN BURNS   11:22 AM  5/22/13, 2013    Oil on alu-dibond    40 x 30"

KELLYANN BURNS   2:09 PM  2/14/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    48 x 48"

KELLYANN BURNS   12:40 AM  9/18/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    10 x 8"

KELLYANN BURNS   10:42 AM  9/16/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    9 x 10"

 

KELLYANN BURNS   11:03 AM  9/01/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    10 x 10"

SIRI BERG:  Color and Space    [Hionas Gallery through February 7]
Color and Space focuses on two series of Berg's paintings and works on paper from the 1970s and 1980s. Berg, who is now in her nineties, has long worked with themes and variations, selecting geometric forms and systematically engaging in extended explorations. This is geometric abstraction with an emphasis on symmetry along with variations in color. In developing a series, Berg produces numerous small works on paper, repeating and manipulating the formal compositions as she modifies the palette. In contrast with the paintings of Burns, Berg's compositions and her application of paint are minimalist, and quickly reveal their essence to the viewer.  

La Ronde, a series from the late 1960s through the 1970s, features semi-circles set into a square, sometimes singly but often in a sequence. The palette of the series ranges from muted to brightly colored. Kabbalah (1980s) is an exploration of the square with more subdued and subtle color variations. According to the gallery press release, Berg was working with elements of color, space and form to connect with the rule of ten (derived from the Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism).   Images courtesy Hionas Gallery.

SIRI BERG   La Ronde, 1971    Oil on paper    20 x 20"

SIRI BERG   La Ronde, 1972  Acrylic on Masonite    34 x 34"

SIRI BERG   La Ronde, 1972    Acrylic on masonite

SIRI BERG   Study for Kaballah, 11 x 8.5 inches, oil on paper

SIRI BERG   Study for Kaballah, 11 x 8.5 inches, oil on paper

SIRI BERG   Kaballah, 1982   oil on canvas    30 x 60"

For additional information on geometric abstraction:
Geoform is a website featuring paintings by several hundred contemporary artists as well as in depth interviews. 
The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History offers a brief overview of the genesis of geometric abstraction. 

Current and recent exhibits including geometric abstraction:
A Few Conversations about Color @ DM Contemporary CLICK HERE for catalog (up through February 28)
Ward Jackson: Black & White Diamonds @ Minus Space (September 2014)
Doppler Shift @ the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey   (September 2014 - January 2015)

On exhibit: Deborah Zlotsky, Ward Jackson, and Yoshiaki Mochizuki

In this post:

DEBORAH ZLOTSKY  at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, through October 11
WARD JACKSON  at Minus Space, through October 25
YOSHIAKI MOCHIZUKI  at Marlborough Chelsea, through October 11 

Autumn in NY is off to a bountiful start with numerous exhibits featuring the many guises of abstraction. At its most superficial level, the thread that ties these three exhibits together is quite simple: I am enthralled by the work. But digging deeper, each artist reflects a clarity of vision along with a devotion to craft, and each artist's work reflects a distinctive approach to abstraction that incorporates elements of geometric forms.

Deborah Zlotsky: It happened, but not to you (Kathryn Markel Fine Arts,through October 11) features eight knock-out paintings chock full of muscular volumetric forms that are stacked and torqued through space. Zlotsky's constructions appear at once massive and floating, which sometimes twist open to reveal hollowed out interiors. These trapezoidal masses are anchored to one another, yet seem ready to separate and hurtle off with a gentle shove. A dynamic unfolding permeates Zlotsky's paintings, unlike much hard-edged geometric abstraction.

DEBORAH ZLOTSKY    A tricky subject, 2014     48x48 oil on canvas   (image courtesy KMFA)

detail from A tricky subject

 

DEBORAH ZLOTSKY   Mermaid thoughts, 2014   60x72   oil on canvas  (image courtesy KMFA)

detail from Mermaid thoughts

 

DEBORAH ZLOTSKY   The Inundation, 2014    48x48 inches     oil on canvas    (image courtesy KMFA)

detail from The Inundation

Zlotsky's palette is replete with assertive colors and burly forms, combined with fantastical compositions and a painterly approach.  A close examination of the paintings reveals planes painted with subtly modulated hues, as well as surfaces rich with drips and dings--elements that show the history of the making. Additionally, the robust forms are occasionally punctuated by tender pictorial elements (easy to miss from the distance)-- a delicate glass tube in one spot, or a needle-like mass in another

In her statement, Zlotsky states that things ordinary and familiar (from her surroundings or memory) are the starting point for each painting. Through a process that she describes as "accumulation and revision, accidents repeatedly redirect me, blurring my understanding of the differences between accident and intention, memory and history."

To see more work from this exhibit, click here.


Ward Jackson: Black & White Diamonds 1960s (Minus Space, through October 25) focuses  on his black and white, geometric compositions on diamond-shaped canvases and also includes a series of sketchbook pages. In contrast with Zlotsky's colorful and compositionally complex paintings, Jackson's work elevates the power of austerity. The surface of these paintings is unarticulated, consistent with Jackson's overall minimalist approach. Elegantly installed in arrays that reflect pages from Jackson's sketchbooks, these paintings demonstrate his methodical exploration of minimalist compositions working variously with balance, symmetry, and pattern.   All photos in this section, courtesy of Minus Space.

Installation view,   WARD JACKSON Black & White Diamonds 1960s  (photos courtesy of Minus Space)

WARD JACKSON   Interchange V, 1963    34 x 34 inches   acrylic on canvas

WARD JACKSON  Untitled (Studies for Reverse), circa 1963-64     4 x 6 inches    graphite on paper

WARD JACKSON   Untitled, 1966   17x17 inches   acrylic on canvas

Installation view      WARD JACKSON Black & White Diamonds 1960s 

Jackson described his work during the early 1960s (from the press release for the exhibit): "The diamond shape (or square on end) has the meditative power of a mandala and expands in a way that an ordinary square does not, since the measurement of the diameter across the center is wider than any of the outer or peripheral edges."   Additionally, by rotating an inherently stable form and balancing the compositions on the tip, Jackson offers us compositions that are both refined and dynamic.

The inclusion of sketchbook pages is an additional treat because we can see how Jackson conceptualized this series and then selected specific compositions to develop into paintings. 

To see more work from this exhibit, click here.


Yoshiaki Mochizuki: Grey Noise (Marlborough Chelsea, through October 11) is a gem of a show that invites quiet contemplation. Meticulously constructed with many layers of gesso, clay, graphite and palladium leaf, these intimate compositions (several as small as 10.5 x 10.5 inches) offer an indeterminate and ever-changing viewing experience. Several of these pieces appear as a field with hints of an underlying grid, while others are developed with layers of lines that form overlapping planes and simple geometries.

Limited to black, white, gray and silver, the heavily burnished surfaces of these panels appear very matte from the distance. But moving in closer or when viewed from an angle, the surfaces shimmer and reflect innumerable specks of light. Step closer still and you see that the surface is rich with tightly packed incised lines. The areas that had appeared as a dull white actually have a highly polished silvery sheen flecked with bubbles and imperfections.

YOSHIAKI MOCHIZUKI  Untitled, 1/31, 2014   14 x 14 inches    gesso on board, clay, palladium leaf

detail of Untitled, 1/31

YOSHIAKI MOCHIZUKI  Untitled, 6/10/13, 2013   14 x 14 inches    gesso on board, clay, palladium leaf

same panel seen from an angle

YOSHIAKI MOCHIZUKI  Untitled, 7/2, 2014   14 x 14 inches    gesso on board, clay, palladium leaf

The process of layering and polishing, incising the lines, and the repeated reworking of the surface carries through into the experience of viewing Mochizuki's work -- we see one thing, it changes, we look away and it changes once again. 

To see more work from this exhibit, click here.