Leaning Nude, 2023Oil on Panel, 7 x 5 inches I. Janice Nowinski’s paintings are of nude models in studio setups. Sometimes, they are loose copies from Old Masters or family photos. They are small; done in a fidgeting, painterly hand. Much of this recalls the student: copying composition from Poussin or flesh by Boucher; painting … Continue reading On Painting: The Art of Janice Nowinski
What Harunobu Knew
A Water VendorDate:after 1765 Courtesan After Work, Harunobu In my years of looking at Japanese woodblock prints, known as Ukiyo-e, no artist from that rich tradition has impressed me as much as Suzuki Harunobu. I often pour over Ukiyo-e prints with a mercenary eye, looking for colors and forms that appeal to my tastes. My … Continue reading What Harunobu Knew
On Jokes and Riddles – Tala Madani and Francis Bacon
Corner Projection with Prism Refraction and Buckets (2018), Tala Madani. Tala Madani's recent show at 303 Gallery gave me the occasion to reflect on her work and its development. What struck me most in this recent show is how much the spirit of her paintings seemed connected to Francis Bacon. Study From the Human Body … Continue reading On Jokes and Riddles – Tala Madani and Francis Bacon
Matisse: Two Views of Notre Dame
What changes in the span of 12 years? For Matisse, this gap exists to bridge an emblematic pair of paintings – twelve years apart in execution, sharing the same subject matter, observed from very similar positions. They are both images of Notre Dame Cathedral, the recognizable icon of the city of Paris. Their difference is … Continue reading Matisse: Two Views of Notre Dame
Notes on Milton Avery
The miniature power of the cock: Not quite domestic, but far from the wild. It is not a companion, like a dog, but nor is it a primal force like a seafowl, livid and wild. It is the very essence of backyardness. But that is too abstract. In fact, it is just a cock - … Continue reading Notes on Milton Avery
John Altoon, Three Men on a Boat
Untitled 1963-65 The boxy close crop of Altoon’s painting gives it solidity – something of the heraldic or crest-like. This is reinforced by the loose brown frame inset into its blue - an interior that appears, with some negotiation, to be boat and sail. A little vessel on an ocean blue. What is so strange … Continue reading John Altoon, Three Men on a Boat
Uccello: On George’s lance
St. George and The Dragon (1470), Paolo Uccello. The cut of a gross diagonal - the lanced knight casts his weapon in his hope to kill the dragon. But suspicions abound. The lance is so long, and where exactly does it begin or end?The cut of a diagonal - the lanced knight casts his weapon … Continue reading Uccello: On George’s lance
Citadel of Angst 