Geometric Themes and Variations

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A peek into Gallery Onetwentyeight on Rivington Street, where Geometric Themes and Variations is up through April 10

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Geometric Theme and Variations, curated by the painter Gloria Klein, is at Gallery Onetwentyeight on the Lower East Side through April 10. Let me say right upfront that I have a work in this show. But so do 19 other artists, so I feel comfortable writing about it. This is my kind of exhibition--geometric, material, intelligent, well crafted--and I would be showing it to you even if I weren't in it.

Klein has curated one exhibition a year for the past several years in this gallery. Her concept this year was to bring together artists working in a variety of mediums and a range of geometric expression. I would describe that range as baroque(ish) to minimal to conceptual. One unifying element is how good each individual work is; it's clear the artists in this show have been at it for a while. Another is that all the work is small to midsize, which results in a visual conversation that takes place at the same pitch, so to speak, despite the diversity of voices. An inspired installation pulls it all together. Here, see for yourself.

We're starting on the left wall as you enter the gallery and continuing image by image into the back gallery. These installation views are followed by some individual images. Then we'll look down the shorter right wall, also followed by individual images on that side. (I was not completely successful in shooting the glazed work individually, so some artists are shown only in the overview, where I have provided information about the work. Otherwise, scroll down for specific info on individual works.)
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On the left wall as you walk in, from from the left: Betty Woodman; George Woodman, Eleonora Discovers Geometry, 2010, gelatin silver print, 26 x 39 inches (framed); Scott Malbaurn; Gloria Klein . . .
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. . . G. Woodman, Malbaurn, Klein, Joanne Mattera

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Moving into the second gallery: Edward Shalala; Bruce Pollock, Wink, 2008, ink and pencil on paper, 16 x 12 inches framed; Michael Knutson; April Vollmer
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April Vollmer, Power Lines, 2009, woodcut print, 26 x 26 inches; Kazuko Miyamoto
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Far back corner in the second gallery: Michael Otterson, Personality Type B, 2009, gouache, graphite and ink on paper, 30 x 22 inches; Steven Alexander; Kazuko Miyamoto
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The individual works:

Betty Woodman, Geometric Abstraction, 2010, glazed earthenware, 37 x 38 x 1 inches


Scott Malbaurn, Nautical Up, 2008, acrylic resin on linen over panel, 11 x 14 inches



Gloria Klein, Not Wallpaper, 2009, acrylic on Arches paper, 20 x 30 inches


Joanne Mattera, Uttar 157, 2006, encaustic on panel, 24 x 24 inches
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Edward Shalala, Untitled: Canvas Thread Documentary Photograph, 2009, B&W print, each 11 x 14 inches (bonus: that's Shalala's reflection in the glass)
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Michael Knutson, White/Black Four Cornered Coils, 2010, white watercolor on black Arches paper, 20 x 20 inches
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Steven Alexander, Sage, 2010, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

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Kazuko Miyamoto, Silk Passage, 2010, nails, silk thread, wood, 11.25 x 12 x 17 inches
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Fred Worden, Everyday Bad Dream, 2008, six-minute DVD
(To orient you, this work is on the other side of the wall that holds the three sculptures, below)

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Switching sides now

On the right wall as you walk in, three from front to back: Richard Bottwin, Richard Kalina, Don Voisine . . .

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. . . Clark Richert, 6-D Hyperplane, 2010, framed digital print, 20 x 20 inches; Lawrence Kenny, Charles Dijulio, Richard Kallweit
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The individual works:

Richard Bottwin, Facade #5, 2009; wood, acrylic paint, textured acrylic sheet, 15 x 15 x 4.5 inches (you saw this work in Spring Greens last week)
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Richard Kalina, Practical Harmonics, 2008, watercolor and ink on paper, 22 x 30

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Don Voisine, Slitch R-10, 2010, oil on styrofoam, 12 x 12 x 2 inches

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Lawrence Kenny, Wall Work 7, 2010, graphite pencil on wall and painted wood, 16 x 22 inches

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Charles Dijulio, Triangle Playing Cards, 2010, inkjet print, 20 x 23 inches

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Richard Kallweit, Star Pattern on Twisted Cube, Infinite Regression on Icosahedron, and Twisted Cube Pattern; each 2009, 6 x 6 x 6 inches .