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
No comments:
Post a Comment