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10.14.2009

Color-Time-Space at Lohin Geduld

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Looking in: This view, through closed doors, will orient you to the tour below


Painters Joanne Freeman and Kim Uchiyama curated a sublime geometric show, Color-Time-Space, for the gallery that represents them, Lohin Geduld, on 25th Street. I'm writing about it on the last day of the show, and you're seeing it posted four days later, but not to worry: I'm going to show you around.

In making their selections, the curators noted the relationship between art and music. Rhythm, tone, and visual space (or musical time) are shared elements within the two disciplines. Seeing each perfectly chosen piece initially, I wasn't sure why the premise was necessary. Each work does indeed have a visual musicality, but the visual relationships between the works are substance enough.

Yet as I think about the installation, I can see how well orchestrated it is. Flat, saturated color is a feature of each painting, amplified and echoed in a kind of high-volume harmony in relation to the others. More persuasively, each work has a percussive rhythm in its repeated geometry--rectilinear, angular, banded, curvilinear, pah pah pah, pah pah--a polyrhythmic syncopation as the angles and curves pulse and snap.

Starting with the view through the window, above, we're going to swing to the right: .

On the wall facing the door: Thornton Willis, Blue Sky with Lattice, 2008 (first seen in a solo at the Elizabeth Harris Gallery earlier this year)
On the right wall: Joanne Freeman, Bent, 2009; Gary Petersen, Wish You Well; Kevin Wixted, Flowering Tree, 2009


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Clockwise from above: Better views of Freeman; Uchiyama's Untitled, 2009, which you glimpsed in the doorway, top, and Petersen



Swinging back to the wall facing the door: Julie Gross, Trema Disc, 2005, and a glimpse of Stephen Westfall's My Beautiful Laundrette


Arc over to the left: Jennifer Riley, Modernissimo, 2009; Yvonne Thomas, Untitled, 1963; Stephen Westfall's, My Beautiful Laundrette, 2009



In the smaller back gallery: full view of Westfall's painting; foreground, Laurie Fendrich, Don't You Dare, 2007
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James Biederman, Ben LaRocco and Kazimira Rachfal were also in the show. You can see images of their work on the gallery website. (Rachfal, a lovely surprise.) A second part of this curatorial effort took place at the Janet Kurnatowski Gallery in Brooklyn.
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On the sidebar of this blog, right, you might want to try out the new "Search This Blog" feature. I've written previously about a number of the painters in this show. Type in any one of these names for more about them: Joanne Freeman, Julie Gross, Ben LaRocco, Gary Petersen, Jennifer Riley, Stephen Westfall, Thornton Willis, Kevin Wixted.

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14 comments:

Ian MacLeod said...

Thanks Joanne, yes the two pieces by Rachfal are fabulous - I also love the James Biederman painting.
ian

Stephanie Sachs said...

Loved this show and was delighted to seeing the Thorton Willis after reading your blog post earlier in the year. It was more sensuous than graphic in person.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the gallery tout. Your comment were helpful and insightful. Now, I am sorry to have missed the show.

Joanne Mattera said...

I wish I could get to everything while it's up, but that kind of timeliness would mean giving up painting. Oh, and finding a way to get paid.

Julie Caves said...

Thank you for another lovely tour Joanne!

I am struck by how cohesive it looks. These pieces love being shown together. Each piece still shines. Brilliant curation of really nice work.

Anonymous said...

Amazing! Color, Geometry, Passion... that's what I'm talkin' about Willis!
Great Post Joanne. If you haven't heard it today, you are the shizznitt!!!

Joanne Mattera said...

Shizznitt. I believe this is the first time I have heard it today.

Admin said...

Nice show, nice post. Lat photo captioned, "...full view of Maine's painting..."- that's Westfall, not Maine, right?

Joanne Mattera said...

Right you are, Chris. It's fixed. I'm going to fire the person responsible for this! (Oh, c'est moi. Never mind.)

Douglas Witmer said...

The Wixted piece is unvelievable in real space...a highlight of my day in Chelsea last week.

Eva said...

Thanks so much for this.

About Connie Goldman said...

Thanks Joanne. Good article on a show I wish I could have seen!

Nancy Olivier said...

I was at the extremely well-attended opening, and the work was fantastic.
Loved it— There are some really good painting shows around! Luminous!

tony said...

It's always interesting for a European, who takes an interest in this form of art, to see what his transatlantic colleagues are doing and over the years it would seem that we have a much tougher, less 'decorative' approach. Perhaps it's time a large exhibition was oganised which juxtaposes work from one side of the pond against that coming from the other.