“Masters of Surrealism” at David Barnett Gallery(through Jan. 9, 2010) mounts lithographs by the legendary Salvador Dali and acontemporary, Andre Masson. Dedicated to this painting movement that drawsinspiration from dreams and memories but uses representational images often setin fantastical landscapes, Dali and Masson experimented with a variety ofmediums and techniques. Colored and limited edition lithographs on Arches papershowcase selected prints from the artists’ celebrated careers.
Dali reinterprets his more familiar surrealisticstyle in Signs of the Zodiac (1967).Sparse, fluid brush strokes delineated by spontaneous lines create theastrological creatures and figures set in abstract backgrounds detailed withenergetic starbursts and cloud swirls. Whether portraying humans or animals,these prints exude a vibrant life. Contrasted with Dali’s highly perfected anddetailed oils, these lithographs capture his emotive and uninhibited strokes.
Another series in colored woodcuts on paper depictsDali the master draftsman in small artworks from “The Divine Comedy Series”(1950). These illustrative prints portray figures from Dante’s novel, includingThe Misers, The Faithful Angels andDante and Beatrice.
Masson’s lithographs complement Dali’s picturesthrough the use of automatic script, a surrealistic variant that relies onproducing images immediately drawn from subconscious streams of thought. Hisexotic women distinguish the Je Reve (IDream) Portfolio (1975), which reveals curvaceous contour lines filled inwith colors that resemble bold crayon markings. These nudes include portraitsof Viviane, D’Eve and La Ventienne,women surrounded by landscapes depicting bounteous flowers, buds, floatingmusical notations and the hills of rounded breastslyrical scenes composedthrough delicate lines from Masson’s dreams.
Studying these masterworks by Dali and Massonpresents additional insight into their diverse aesthetic influences. TheBarnett Gallery might be better served by showing their special exhibitions inone gallery specifically for this purpose, however, so visitors could optimallyview these exceptional portfolios.
Portrait Society Gallery recently opened anexhibition titled “The Intimate Page” in Gallery A (through Jan. 4, 2010),which requested sketchbook drawings from 61 local and national artists. Thesevery personal renderings on paper, including square cocktail napkins, invitethe viewer to experience the inner workings of the artistic mind.
Director Debra Brehmer co-curated the exhibitionwith Natanya Blanck, and the two women organized this massive collection ofwhite sketchbook paper on black gallery walls. This imaginative milieu holdszoo drawings and figure studies by Katie Musolff, New Yorkportraits penned with Sharpies in bars by Carri Skoczek, ink drawings by BarryCarlsen and charcoal renderings from Milwaukee’sBrady Streetby Chris Miller.
Linear images in silver and gold Mylar tape depictkathryn e. martin’s first thoughts for her room-sized installations. Eventraditional travel impressions are drawn with exultant immediacy. Theseinspired scraps of paper dominate the diminutive space with an overwhelmingamount of artwork to appreciate.
Creatively dividing the artwork by subjectcategoriestravel, flowers, animals, landscapes, figure studies and preparatoryworkthe curators present the raw working materials, as well as the unfinishedintellectual and visual process connected to making art, in this rare viewingprivilege. A distinguished array of artists willingly consented to share theirprivate images, never before seen and ready for purchase.
Across the hall, an exhibition in Gallery B featuresMichael Kasun and UW-Milwaukee graduate Amy O’Neill in “A Flock of Birds”(through Jan. 4, 2010). By placing her roosters and hens in the abstractcontext of the corner of a room or chiaroscuro shadows, O’Neill elevates thesehumble creatures to elegance in her miniature oils. Kasun adorns a robin eggblue wall with 36 new bird paintings on wood.
In the hallway between the two galleries, Fred Bellcontinues his oil on Masonite series where nine new paintings focus on one maintheme. This fifth-floor treasure in the Marshall Buildingexudes Brehmer’s unique passion for displaying a cultural dialogue andencouraging a vibrant conversation that preserves artists and community.
