Artists "Review" Artists: Heather Levy on Gail Vollrath

The Artists "Review" Artists Project was launched on June 30, 2008.  Below is a "review" of Gail Vollrath's work, Driving West, written by Heather Levy.  Gail provided the second jpeg, an image of Gas, as well as a brief response to Heather's "review."

Gail currently resides in Washington, DC, and Heather lives in Washington, DC.

If you would like to participate in this project, please email me at jtkirkland [at] gmail [dot] com.

 
Driving West
oil on canvas
20" x 18"
2005

The "Review"

Driving West is a small scale oil painting on canvas. It is quite reminiscent of the style of Cy Twombly. One would have to categorize it in the abstract expressionistic school. Ambiguous in nature it is difficult to insightfully comprehend any forthright imagery or communication. The color palette of yellows, pinks and reds on a background of white and gray impasto is somewhat pleasing yet I am perplexed by the meaning of the black mortar and pestle like shapes. The composition is fairly balanced with nothing hidden nor obvious. I am interested to hear from the artist the meaning of the title.

By Heather Levy

Gas
oil, china marker on paper
7.5" x 7"
2007

The Response

My work is often aloof, paint-coated (and coated again) and in that painting drawing blur - much like Cy Twombly whom Heather mentions.  Though I do work in series with clear notion and concurrent titles, Driving West is pure mark making, esoteric referencing and as unselfconscious as the frame I was in at the time it was made.  Though this piece is indirect, I will say that many shapes like the ones Heather assigns here as “mortar and pestle like” often come from a collection of clip art, toys, gutter objects and ephemera that I feel important to keep in the studio.

By Gail Vollrath

Previous "Reviews":
Pam Farrell on Ken Weathersby
Paula McCullough on Aric Calfee
Lee Gainer on Leigh Waldron-Taylor
Aric Calfee on Paula McCullough
Matthew Ballou on Heather Levy
Giovanni Garcia-Fenech on TJ Norris
TJ Norris on Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Susan Tolbert on Mary Klein