Sonata in Orange III

Comment

Comment by Leisa Luis-Grill on December 7, 2011 at 2:40pm

Rich, majestic, layered yet subtle. Reminds me of storm-chasing on the open plains. I love the hues. Very gentle and serene.

Comment by Resident Curator on August 30, 2011 at 8:49pm

Curator’s Comment:

 

The dabs of white, blue and orange read as dappled light in Sonata in Orange III.  I’m interested in the degree of abstraction in this landscape when compared to your more realistic works such as Sunrise, or Summer Glory.  Sonata seems more impressionistic and felt/ experienced rather than directly observed.  The paint looks thinly applied, such as in a monotype or under painting.  This enhances the fleeting effect of light in a continually changing landscape.  From a purely formal standpoint, I appreciate the banded stripe of yellow- orange across the top of the picture plane, which is reasserted in the bottom half.  Land and sky meld into an atmospheric haze.  The square format creates a refreshing and surprising dynamic between horizontal and vertical poles, as it breaks the traditional landscape view. The formal device of banded sections is repeated similarly in Summer Glory, but in a decorative, flat motif.  This manipulation of ornamental elements frames the trees nicely, but diminishes the illusion of depth.  Because of these diverse treatments of space I enjoy viewing a page of several of your works simultaneously.  A grid organizes the more economic compositions with the flourishes of gestural brushstrokes.