Here is my first blog post for New American Paintings. I'm excited to write reviews for them—they are a fantastic publication. The original post is here!
ALL IN ONE: PAINTINGS BY REBECCA SHORE
Jenni Higginbotham
In conjunction with an exhibition at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago, Eight Modern Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico), will show the paintings of Rebecca Shore (NAP #41) until May 5. This two-gallery exhibit, titled All in One, features about 50 paintings, 23 of which are at Eight Modern.
All in One can be viewed as two bodies of work. One group of paintings features arrangements of absurd silhouettes and shapes on a flat ground color. Her color combinations are mostly neutrals and hues within a single color family with an occasional primary red or celadon green shape to break up the regularity of the composition. The shapes are evenly spaced with an inch or so between each object. They are arranged formally the way one might organize a collection of seashells or butterflies. The viewer is meant to consider each shape and its formal relationship to the other images in the painting. Each shape, whether it be a figure from Chinoise wallpaper or an uninterpretable blob traced from a TV screen-shot, has to meet the painting’s organizational standard. The game is to figure out what the organizing principle might be.
In the interview section of the exhibition catalog, Shore says, “I
try to make an arrangement where things relate to one another in a way
that allows you to experience them without being confused[...] You’re
urged to make relationships through form, but your questions about
identity are often not answered.”
The other paintings in the exhibition are evocative of maps, networks
or alien motherboards—some sort of navigational or technological
device. Once again, Shore relies on found and manipulated imagery to
create these paintings. They are almost entirely linear and abstract
geometric shapes, although the occasional representational image finds
its way into the work. There is a similar level of absurdity to these
paintings. On one hand, the work invites the viewer to interpret the
formal relationships and fit the pieces into neat categories. However,
the seemingly random imagery resists identification, toying with our
general acceptance of organizational standards. Before standardization
occurs, the process of organization is personal and meaningful.
Sometimes, it is quite arbitrary.
Shore’s process is rooted in an intellectual framework, but the
paintings are also traditionally beautiful objects. A nuanced handling
of the materials is apparent in the subtle brushwork and delicate
variations of paint transparency. These works are made with a variety of
media: gouache, oil, distemper (a paint using rabbit skin glue as the
binder), acrylic, and egg tempera with casein. These subtleties are
appealing, but her technique is not so lush that it detracts from the
conceptual push/pull of the imagery. Shore manages to balance cool and
detached humor with a genuine fondness for the formal qualities of
painting. She clearly loves sifting through a variety reference
materials until she finds a combination that intuitively make sense to
her. This work is worth seeing and spending some time with. View more of
the work online at http://www.eightmodern.net/ and http://www.corbettvsdempsey.com/.
ALL IN ONE: PAINTINGS BY REBECCA SHORE
Jenni Higginbotham
May 2, 2012
Filed under: Review, Santa Fe | Tags: Corbett vs. Dempsey, Eight Modern Gallery, Rebecca Shore
Filed under: Review, Santa Fe | Tags: Corbett vs. Dempsey, Eight Modern Gallery, Rebecca Shore
In conjunction with an exhibition at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago, Eight Modern Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico), will show the paintings of Rebecca Shore (NAP #41) until May 5. This two-gallery exhibit, titled All in One, features about 50 paintings, 23 of which are at Eight Modern.
Installation shot
All in One can be viewed as two bodies of work. One group of paintings features arrangements of absurd silhouettes and shapes on a flat ground color. Her color combinations are mostly neutrals and hues within a single color family with an occasional primary red or celadon green shape to break up the regularity of the composition. The shapes are evenly spaced with an inch or so between each object. They are arranged formally the way one might organize a collection of seashells or butterflies. The viewer is meant to consider each shape and its formal relationship to the other images in the painting. Each shape, whether it be a figure from Chinoise wallpaper or an uninterpretable blob traced from a TV screen-shot, has to meet the painting’s organizational standard. The game is to figure out what the organizing principle might be.
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