Saturday, July 18, 2015

Deborah Remington-Wallspace Gallery.






               

This is one exhibition that should be seen before the closing date of Aug. 7th. I had no idea this was up until I happened upon Howard Halle’s short review of the show in Time Out. It consists of only 3 paintings done in oil and several early Paintings? Done with soot on muslin from the 60’s.
                The rest of the works are small complex exquisite drawings done with graphite and colored pencil. The images are machine like and odd, like visitors who have arrived from outer space and allow us to have free associations with them. They’re abstractions with a cause. Remington who I knew in the early 70’s,  a dinner here, a studio visit there was a compelling person, tall and  lanky and some might say with a severe look giving off  the appearance of a suburban housewife out for a day in the city.
                Of course her art contradicts this impression. Her palette was limited to only a few colors but she did more with black and red than most artists can ever do and the size of her canvas though modest always seemed large to me. I don’t know what these works mean but the pleasure of viewing them comes from that very notion along with her splendid use of her medium.
                    For a time she had great attention from galleries and critics along with a loyal following of artists who were in awe of her accomplishments. I was one of the artists of my generation who thought very highly of her work and I was thrilled to have known her. We lost touch and I was very sad when I learned of her passing in 2010 at the good age of 80, but what bothers me is the lack of recent attention her beautiful work has not gotten. While the minor in a big way men and women get the shows in museums quiet mavericks like Remington go unnoticed. Her accomplishment is noteworthy and I hope this fine small show will jolt the attention of the wheeler dealers. I’m not counting on that though.      

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