“I have always had a fascination with Color Field painting and landscape. My mind, however, has never been able to calm its energy long enough to exclusively commit to one or the other. And thus, I like to think of my work as an amalgam of the two genres; an explosion of abstraction. There are also elements that teeter on the decorative as well as subtle suggestions of folk art juxtaposed with big moments of the spontaneity associated with Abstract Expressionism.” –Anita Bates
In classic AbEx tradition, this painting commands the viewer’s attention through scale and layers of expressive gestures that erupt off the canvas. The lighter palette deepens as it reads from left to right with the only discernible subject a girdled figure outlined in black. A loop of orange concludes this evocative story.
Poivres Rouge—or Red Peppers—Is a more organized composition deftly employing negative space to balance an area of concentrated energy. The muted lime green perfectly complements a range of burnt sienna values. Heavy blacks provide weight while freely drawn lines break the quartered picture.
Calm and cool, with plenty of unperturbed space, this work describes a sensation of a day at the beach. Although the title’s translation is ‘Ocean Flight’, the flip flops lead the viewer to a more grounded interpretation.
This gallery has been slow to come fully back online from pandemic lockdowns but has returned in style with substantial works from one of Detroit’s premier abstractionists. This latest installment from Anita Bates takes her color field landscapes and blows them up to eloquently charged paintings that invite but don’t overwhelm. I had a lovely chat with George the afternoon I dropped in and am thrilled to see his gallery back in the exhibition mix stronger than ever.
On view this Fall at N'Namdi Center 52 E. Forest Detroit
*images are mine
direct quote from gallery materials
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SHOWS OPEN THIS WEEKEND