Contemporary Art: David Row - Counter Clockwise @ Loretta Howard Gallery New York

(Drivebycuriosity) - On my recent visit of Chelsea`s art galleries I found a little gallery with amazing paintings. Loretta Howard Gallery, which shares the building with other galleries (521 West 26 Street; New York lorettahoward), had a fascinating show: David Row: Counter Clockwise.

The press release explains: "Row continues to investigate the dynamic of the irregularly shaped panel with architectural precision, heavily worked surfaces of oil paint and complex internal structures. The predominant energy and motion is countered by an underlining geometric logic. The dynamic ellipse or x shapes are completed by the viewer’s eye outside of the picture plane thus pushing boundaries by activating the surrounding space. These paintings are primarily frontal but can also be read as spatial and as such once again activate perception. Row’s color and paint are luxurious– rich deep blues and dense blacks are contrasted by thin lines of vivid bright lines demarcating junctures."

The online magazine Artcritical has a fine & informative article about this show (artcritical). Here an excerpt: "Row limits his palette here to a mid-range cobalt blue combined with black and white. From this narrow medley he manages to coax compelling variations by applying two interdependent rubrics: the first is the commonplace method of controlling a color’s intensity by adjusting the amount of surface each occupies; the other involves cropping painted forms—reclining Os and Xs—with multiple diagonal edges. The Os in particular, when interrupted diagonally suggest a larger shape that amplifies each painting’s scale and pictorial depth. Illusions of deep space thwart emphasis on surface, but never entirely. Between barely contained expanse and concentrated interlocking geometry these images exude a complexity one would not expect from such small panels. "

To be continued