The Big White Cathedral in the Room

After reading Sebastian Smee’s harsh review of the new exhibit MONET/LICHTENSTEIN: Rouen Cathedrals in last Sunday’s Boston Globe, I just had to go visit the MFA and see what all the fuss was about. It’s Monet and Lichtenstein, two great artists, so what could be so bad? But Smee is right, the room is too narrow, and in my opinion, other than the clear connection of subject matter, and that Lichtenstein’s work was inspired by Monet’s series, there wasn’t much else going on.

Go see for yourself and let us know what you think!

www.mfa.org

What the flock? Where'd those guys come from?

It's a regular Arlington Aviary over at Paul and Marielle Racicot's thanks to their recent acquisition of four new Christopher Jagmin encaustic and oil paintings - meet Smitty of Southie, Turkey Hill Tony, Joey Waverley and Melrose Mama. Recently flown in from Phoenix, there are still a few fine-feathered friends left in our online shop:

http://13forest.com/shoppa.shtml#ecwid:category=143541&mode=category&offset=0&sort=priceAsc

Cy Twombly 1928 – 2011

Yesterday the notable artist Cy Twombly passed away at the age of 83. His career began at a time post World War II where American artists delved into the world of the abstract. Where artists placed their canvas on the floor, created works entirely of blocks of color and where the real was communicated through shape, line and form in a way which it hadn’t been by artists on American soil.

Cy Twombly, Tiznit, 1953, white lead, house paint, crayon, and pencil on canvas

With the death of Twombly, we are now at a moment in history where many of these great artists have passed on. Their impact on the art world shifted the geographic focus to the US and paved the way for other movements such as Pop Art, Minimalism and the contemporary work we find today.

Having just started at 13FOREST Gallery, I couldn’t help but think of how the abstract work of Twombly and his contemporaries has led to the work showing in our current exhibition Space/Light/City.

Kenji Nakayama, QTP, 2011, enamel on MDF board

The pieces in Space/Light/City are abstract. Lynda Schlosberg works with layer over layer of acrylic brushstrokes, defined lines, dots, and circles that create a certain flux, a space within which the work itself moves. Dana Woulfe’s brushstrokes and use of spray paint emit a kinetic movement, seen in his use of black in his Cerulean Tree pieces. Wade Aaron’s work in the exhibition focuses on abstracted geometry while Kenji Nakayama utilizes script as his medium. Each artist meticulously creates the energy and atmosphere of their work, using abstraction as a way to communicate their message.

Wade Aaron, Semi-Precious 1, 2011, graphite, metal leaf on MDO plywood

There is no way to compare these works to those of the mid-20^th century without placing intention where there may be none (something which tends to happen regularly when discussing art). Their inspiration, intent, and process all differ from each other and from the work created in our recent history. Their brushstrokes and lines, their shadows and space, are all unique. Their existence, however, and their position as innovative contemporary artists working with the abstract, could perhaps be brought back to the motion of Pollock’s ‘drips’, the space and structure created by the Geometric abstraction of Newman’s ‘zips’, and the loops and script of Cy Twombly.

Dana Woulfe, Cerulean Tree 1 and 2, 2011, spray paint, ink & latex on board

By making their home in the abstract, the post-war artists, with their fluid brushstrokes, fields of color, and chaotic processes opened the door for a similar exploration of depicting the real through the abstract to be done today in exhibitions such as Space/Light/City.

Lynda Schlosberg, Falling, 2011, acrylic on panel