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4.21.2010

Big Geometries

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Warren Isensee at Danese: Left, Halo Effect, 2009, oil on canvas; far wall, Cakewalk, 2010, oil on canvas, multipanel
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A few weeks ago I posted Small Geometries, which featured the reductive sculptures of Kevin Finklea and the joyously gridded paintings of Helen Miranda Wilson. Now we're switching scale.
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Warren Isensee's show at Danese, which just came down, featured his trademark "nesting" rectangles--which I love--as well as a couple of dramatic wall-size installations. These new works explode the geometry out of the nest, so to speak, while retaining the same retinally stimulating linearity. You can see more on the gallery website.
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Peter Halley at Mary Boone: Installation of three works, each acrylic and roll-a-tex/canvas, 80 x 82 inches
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Halley's show closed yesterday, but the gallery has some installation shots. While I like the juxtaposition of the two shows here--all rectangles within rectangles--I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Halley's work. His colors are too eye-searingly acidic for my taste (I prefer Imi Knoebel, who also shows at Boone if we're going in that chromatic direction), but ya gotta dig the way Halley creates a visual trope and sticks with it. Well, I do.
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4 comments:

Donna Dodson said...

I saw Peter Halley's show and thought of you. Thanks for the introduction to the Warren Isensee's work.

YHBHS said...

nice posting...i think i prefer imi's work too!

* said...

I'm sorry I missed that Isensee show. I like his work, and that cakewalk one looks pretty interesting.

Did see the Peter Halley, and the longer I stayed in the gallery the more it grew on me. I wasn't sure if that would happen, but they surprised me that way.

ken

Karena said...

Halley's art does transcend tranquility it is really a jolt. I do love the palette for the explosion that it is. I will go look at Isensee's work.

Karena
Art by Karena