Max Frintrop at Lyles & King

One of the first galleries I knew I wanted to visit when I got to NYC this time was heading down to Forsyth and go to see Max Frintrop's paintings at Lyles & King. First thing I want to mention is the atmosphere of the gallery. Not many really have an atmosphere, they are just big ass rooms. This space has a character and rawness to it that really works with the paintings. You walk from outside down into this room with very low headroom. I mean VERY low. If you are over 6 feet tall you are going to walk around with your head down in the entry of this gallery. The big space is in the back of the gallery, walking down the hand hewed beams that make up the stairs is just totally engaging for me, I had to spend my time admiring the architecture of the space, and once that was taken in, I was then able to really take in the paintings.

Instead of giving you the typical art talk about painting. What I want to give you is more of a photo essay on these paintings, photos you won't see anywhere else, my own personal choices of details I thought you the viewer might find interesting. Hopefully getting you to desire to see these in person just as I did.

I personally feel that if critics like Harold Rosenberg had seen this, they would have been praising it. It's quite amazing action painting. Even though no one really uses that term anymore.

Text from Alex Bacon from the press release for the exhibition: "Lately Frintrop has been pushing the quality of liquidity inherent in his use of ink as his medium of choice. The resulting works are simultaneously pared down (without being reductive) and more spatial, in a pictorial sense. In some paintings forms tumble over one another, and rush towards the viewer, while in others a built up assemblage of marks are threatened by an aqueous shimmering that dissolves the legibility of its structure. In still other paintings a tight grouping of marks surge in a particular direction, upwards, and to left, right, or center. At times they even collide, causing a spectacular pictorial event to unfold near the center of the canvas."

There was something that made the viewing in the front room like snuggling up in a comfy blanket. I guess it was because of the low ceiling that the painting was forced to be in the middle of the wall and because of this, the viewing was much more like you might catch if you were in the artists studio, with the paintings propped up on paint cans. Really gives viewing in this room a direct and comfortable experience. Would love to personally make a nice 12 foot wide painting and put it there. 

Now go hop in your speedwagon and get down there, the exhibition closes June 5th.

106 FORSYTH STREET AT BROOME, NEW YORK, NY 10002

GALLERY HOURS: WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY, 12PM TO 6PM

Sadie Benning at Callicoon Fine Arts

I believe my first interaction with Sadie Benning's work was in the original building of Callicoon Fine Arts on Forsyth Street in the Lower East Side. I was doing the regular gallery hop, and happened by this tiny space with these great new edged paintings. Mostly shapes, flags, all put together in this very cool and interesting manner. Instead of canvas, these are all made from plywood that was cut into the design she wished, and then carefully painted and put back together. Simple concept, totally NOT simple in the actual making of it.

My recent NYC trip, I was out on a Sunday, which BTW is a GREAT day to gallery hop in the LES of NY. Very few people around, much less tourists running in and out, snapping a few selfies and then leaving, onto the next space. Delancey Street is quite the busy street, except for galleries, there are very few on that street, another recently moved further east, but that's another story. Callicoon has been on Delancy for a couple years now in a much bigger venue for their artists, and it has showed in the quality and grandness of their exhibitions. Sadie is my personal favorite of their artists. We all have favorites and it's not bad to mention that one is your favorite. Her work has a directness to it, it's immediate but there is also the underlying sense of much more going on than what you immediately see. I recall taking in the craft of how she cuts all the ply up and then assembles it back together into these wonderfully playful paintings. I made sure to get some pics of details I feel will help you, the online viewer, get a better sense of what her work looks like in person. I dig the new designs she is coming up with, though the funny face was a bit kitschy for my tastes, I feel the sunset was my personal favorite work in the exhibition. I think her designing of landscape is something I would love to see more of. But her talent of coaxing imagery from a plywood panel in such a lyrical but calculated way is one that is supremely hers and I believe will keep her name on people's lists for many decades.

The exhibition runs at Callicoon Fine Arts until July 29th, 2016, so you have plenty of time to see it for yourself. 49 Delancey Street. NY.

Looking at details, I can see underpainting and I wonder if this painting was originally multicolored, or was just another monochrome that was eventually repainted to it's final state. Either way, it's a powerful painting.

Thanks for reading. Jeffrey Collins

Kissed by the Sun

I came back from visiting some galleries today to find this happening on my painting. So naturally I grabbed my cameraphone and got some pics. Thankfully this new cameraphone is so much better than my i-4 which stunk for taking pics of dominantly red paintings. This LGG4 is much better at it. Click on the images to open them larger. I hope one day you too will be able to have this experience with your and with my work.

Cheers to all.

Painting is:
05-16-2016
36X48 Inches
91.44X121.92CM
Acrylic on Acrylic Yarn on Painted Wood Chassis.