Monday, April 26, 2010




"As for Fraleigh’s work, perhaps I’ve seen too much painting but this stuff is straight out of early 70’s Fem painting, with too many practitioners to mention (Joan Semmel), some doing it well and some not. Seems there’s always a problem when trying to combine different tacks that you don’t go far enough with ether. I’d like to see the abstract or the figurative elements pushed further, made tougher. There are analogies between the forms of the poured paint and body shapes and functions but why not geometric abstraction too, or some othre body parts besides the face? "

None of the suggested artists i could locate on the NYC blog, so I went with the artist Angela Fraleigh, a painter that explores the same clashing of realms and paint handling. Above is a critique posted on the blog about Fraleigh's work. I find the words that state "the problem with trying to combine different tacks is that you don't go far enough with either. This rings very true to my work as well as hers. The constant need to combine abstract and figurative work leaves me with a huge equation that usually ends up disastrous.

"I don't think a figure awash in a wilderness of paint is sustainable as a career.
Unless that paint is exquisite.
Is it?"

This comment also serves as a delivering blow of what i knew was inevitable. A very true statement and i dont even do enough action painting in the background and i believe she starts with he figure work and then splashes copious amounts of paint on the canvas and then moves it around in a therapeutic fashion that distorts what portions of the figure remain visible. to the contrary i paint the painterly and abstract layer as my prepped background and then slap the figures on the surface in some plane defying manner that leaves them flat and separated from the space, which I enjoy the frustration and awkwardness to that space but people must beg for more. I feel if i had all the time in the world to pursue this problem i could get both facets to a very legible state. right now i am falling very short...

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