Joanne Mattera Art Blog: FAIR WEATHER: Eye Benders

12.21.2008

FAIR WEATHER: Eye Benders

Art Basel Miami Beach: Jon Thompson, The Toronto Cycle #2--The Beach Midday Sunlight, at Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London

I saw the painting above on the evening of the second day of viewing. It had a wonderfully unsettling quality, like heat rising up off the surface of a road on a 95-degree day. Those dots vibrated. But as the days wore on and my eyes wore out, subtleties like this just registered as blur.

I saved the most retinally intense for last--not because I saw them all on the last day, but because by the sixth day of looking at art, this is what looking felt like. I liked all of these paintings. Just not all at once.

Supernova at Art Basel Miami Beach: Ara Peterson at John Connelley Presents, New York

Supernova at ABMB: Ignacio Uriarte, 4 x 4 Single Line Labyrinth #1 and #2 at Nogueras Blanchard, Barcelona

Individual work below, with detail below that

.Aqua Hotel: Thomas Burke, OS3: Spiral Scratch, Version 2. 23 inches in diameter, at Western Projects, Culver City, California
..

11 comments:

Karen Jacobs said...: Thanks, Joanne... a super effort that is very much appreciated... and looked forward to!; 10:26 AM
Anonymous said...: I think this last 'op post' has woken me up the most. The Thomas Burke from Western Projects has jolted me into a novel reality reminding me that Not all is true that meets the eye, Though the truer the lie the greater the one.
Whatever that means!

Congrats on your review of your current show, too, Joanne.; 10:14 PM
ROBERT GARLITZ said...: What a fantastic report.

Thank you for it. Great commentary too.

What IS this hunger for geometry and pattern
and decorative play???; 10:18 PM
S.A. said...: Joanne,
These reports are gift -- Thanks so much for all the great work.; 8:55 AM
Joanne Mattera said...: Thanks, Karen, Brent, Bob and Steven for your kind words. My stat counter tells me there are a lot of readers, but it's really nice to get the feedback from you.

And thanks, Brent, for taking the time to read the review of my own show. Normally I would have done a big post on my show and the review, but I didn't want to do so in the middle of "Fair Weather." Maybe next week, when "Fair Weather" has been up for a while and the year is about to roll over.

Happy holidays, everyone.; 10:29 AM
Nancy Natale said...: Joanne, you did an amazing job - great photos, comments and organizing. Thanks for all your work. I really enjoyed the tour through your eyes.; 12:20 AM
tony said...: As a write a freezing mist hides the view of the Pyrenees from my lounge window & although I am thousands of miles from Miami, Joanne, your coverage has kept me in contact and for that I say a sincere thankyou - not just the past few weeks but throughout the year. Have a wonderful Christmas & New Year.; 5:36 AM
lookinaroundbob said...: Magnificent Obsession - Can't wait till next year- great work - thanks; 11:19 AM
Gwendolyn Plunkett said...: Joanne,
A huge THANK YOU for all your good reporting and interesting posts throughout the year. FYI, I find your blog a great resource for my Design I students. I can almost always find an artist's work (yours too) that relates to one of their assigned projects. Thank you, thank you!
Happy Holidays!
Gwen; 1:44 PM
Joanne Mattera said...: Well I never get tired of hearing nice things about this blog, so thank you all for your comments. (Keep 'em coming.)

I'm working on two big blog projects for the new year, so stay tuned.; 3:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Beautiful images! WOW!

Eva; 11:39 PM