Although there were sculptures and numerous other paintings screaming for attention as I walked into the first exhibition space, nothing pulled me into its world as much as this particular piece. Its positioning was perfectly aligned with the view of the one who has just entered the gallery. As I closely explored the painting, its technique became that much more intriguing to my taste. It was the composition which has simply won my attention over. As my eyes were eager to explore the empty black surface in the middle of the canvas along with the orange-yellowish marks created on top, they just could not. It was the simple bright circle on the lower side of the painting, pulling the the eyes along with the weight of the painting to the bottom. Because the painting is vertical and the placement of the circle is at the center, on the lower side of the canvas, it brings the surrounding space into play. We associate the floor with gravity, in which case it is now pulling the circle and the weight of the pictorial surface with it, creating a conceptually pleasing composition.
The reason for this particular pick is simple. Already being introduced to a piece with an unusual composition which kept winning my attention over any other extraordinary piece in the room, I was easily lured in by the design stemming from a similar concept of the previous one. The quiet surface of the canvas depicts an intricate layout of positive and negative space, which suddenly becomes overshadowed by the 'scream out' orange -symmetrically placed shapes, yet again at the bottom of the canvas. Once more I must force my eyes away from the tempting orange if I dare to explore the subtle design accompanying the orange shapes on the bottom. It is the simple trick of colors and composition which can overwhelm the viewer that I am most excited for at a show. That is precisely why I have chosen these images.
This next piece visually cooled me down after being exposed to a multitude of colorful pieces in the space. Stripped of its color, one would think it would give out a dull feeling. However, personally it did not. Because of its 3 dimensional feel created by the particular strokes at the center of the surface, the viewer is no longer thinking black and white, but also 3D. The composition is not only created by the presented line quality, but more importantly the negative space which surrounds the shape. In addition, this negative space subtly divides the lines that create the piece and with a lighter tone of the background color holds the strokes together, while giving the dominating shape a 3 dimensional feel. Yet another way to keep my interest alive and eager to look at artwork surrounding me.
Steering away from 2 dimensional work, I arrive at sculptures occupying the same space as the multitude of paintings on the walls. This sculpture in particular seems to give out a unique aura of some sort, that I haven't felt around other work. Although it did not catch my initial attention, it took the remaining time I had to offer for the examination of its interesting design. It was perhaps the color green that gave it this 'out of the world' feel. The thin poles with flat circular platforms on their ends created a network of energy and expression. It seems such factors would be enough to create a sculpture of uniqueness and all else it needs to offer for an art-hungry viewer; It isn't. After taking a closer glimpse, perhaps even a touch (shhh) it was clear the design was precise about its presentation. As it could only stand on one side, it became baffling how there seemed to be more weight on the other. A well thought out plan on the part of the artist and a great feat of exploration for the viewer.
Ending this review with another 3 dimensional piece, I must say the few sculptures there were, they did balance out the 2D work, simply because of their interesting concepts which had that much more to offer for the viewer. This piece works well conceptually with the green sculpture as it too has an unconventional positioning of the cube. Right next to it is an object being connected with yet another interesting feature. The three create a sense of brotherhood and belonging to one space. It is the object that is binding the two that lets the viewer know it is a sculpture of one. Without this connection one could be lost and lose the feeling of belonging. The metallic look of the cube creates a contrast between it and the dark part of the sculpture sitting next to it. That is a subtle factor, however important in keeping the 3D piece interesting. However, the main factor which brings all this pieces in this review together is obscurity. Personally I found it important to look at these pieces and create interpretations without knowing their names. It brings that much more curiosity into play as well as more room of exploration.
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