Imre Bak’s 1974 painting “Landscape Transformation” presents a mathematically stylized landscape. Featuring a series of parallel lines, right triangles, and half circles this work has both horizontal and vertical lines of reflection symmetry. Alluding to traditional landscape painting, but using the vocabulary of the geometric hard edge painters, Bak is signaling an allegiance to the Western European and American art communities.Susan Happersett
Elizabeth Dee Gallery
Mark Barrow and Sarah Parke at Elizabeth Dee Gallery
“wave, particle, string” is the title of the exhibition at the Elizabeth Dee gallery featuring the collaborative work of Sarah Parke and Mark Barrow.
I was walking across West 20th street when I spotted this great great mosaic in the front window of the gallery. Created by applying tiny squares of black, red, green, and blue vinyl directly to the glass, it forms a grid based on the Cartesian coordinate system. Inside the gallery there is a diverse selection of work consisting of woven textiles, painting and videos. I found the “Swipe paintings” particularly interesting.
Barrow and Parke are interested in the organization within systems of data. Taking small patterns of geometric information and repeating them through framework of the Cartesian grids, the results are both complex and ordered. In the “swipe” paintings the color changes are based on the finger swipes Barrow has made drawing on an iPad. This reinforces the link between the mathematical elements of the work and technology.
Susan Happersett