Two Great Innovators

There have been many deaths in the art community this year. As we noted this summer, Cy Twombly passed, Lucian Freud as well. This week Helen Frankenthaler (one of my favorites) and John Chamberlain passed away. Similar to Twombly they weren't directly associated with Abstract Expressionism, but acted as the steps that succeeded the movement. Both created new ways to explore artistic expressions, Frankenthaler with her use of color and Chamberlain with his assemblage works. They held the torch that was first ignited by their American predecessors, lighting the way for future generations of their genre, including current artists at 13FOREST Gallery.

Roberta Smith of the New York Times eloquently delves into their influences and roles in the art world with the article "Two Artists Who Embraced Freedom".

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