The Artists "Review" Artists Project was launched on June 30, 2008. Below is a "review" of Michael Paul Oman-Reagan's work, Original Concession of Non-Objective Art, written by M. Trigos. Michael provided the second jpeg, an image of Imageless Icon 32, as well as a brief response to M. Trigos' "review."
Michael currently resides in Brooklyn, NY, and M. Trigos lives in Northeast Louisiana.
If you would like to participate in this project, please email me at jtkirkland [at] gmail [dot] com.
Original Concession of Non-Objective Art
Polyvinyl Chloride Film, Acrylic Paint, Wood, Adhesive Tape
10" x 6" x 5"
2008
The "Review"
If the name of a person says a lot, the title of an art piece tends to speak for itself. This is the case with Original Concession of Non-Objective Art. The title brings some sense of authenticity, and it takes place because the abstract form itself is giving in to movement as well as change. The traces of the light blue shadows against the whitish background of the well defined and centered object serve as the relation between time and space which comes from the sensation of a delicate rotation, until it achieves its own folding. Thus the mélange of this work transfixes the viewer’s eyes due to its complex simplicity. Everything about this piece seems quite easy to memorize: Shape, color, and background. This, of course, does not mean the style could get boring. On the contrary, there is room for anyone’s imagination thanks to its non-objective nature, i.e. a melting sheet of ice, a small boat, or a frozen hand about to snap fingers.
Furthermore, this piece sends out signals of absorbance and fragility like a connection among the outer and the inner, and yet there is a dark line dividing almost symmetrically the abstract figure. For the viewer it appears to be impossible to ignore the dark dividing line which draws the sight from left to right until its points meet in an almost mathematical fashion. This is why such an obscure line reminds me of Piet Mondrian’s neoplastic approach to his paintings—unambiguous lines separating primary colorations and shapes where spontaneity becomes efficient in its design and under genuine control of its location.
This mixed media piece leaves us with some sort of cubist awareness, which comes from the influence of cubism where volume plays an imperative role. The difference here is the artist gets out of the box, making the work a bit more adventurous, and yet quite relaxing. The freshness of this arty creation reflects unassuming plausibility with one color playing the greatest responsibility in how it has turned out. Conversely it may seem impractical to overlook the vigor of its dimensions, giving the appeal that springs from sculptures like the ones Richard Serra assembles, but at a lesser scale and without the usage of metal. Yet the common elements depicts from the transformation and manipulation of the objects in a single color and figure that keeps evolving right there in front of our eyes, even if we remain motionless. Thus the artist accomplished the task entirely well, with much sense and sensibility.
By M. Trigos
Imageless Icon 32
Mixed Media
4.5" x 8" x .5"
2008
The Response
1. I enjoyed the phrases “delicate rotation” and “complex simplicity,” and the careful attention of the reviewer to the act of seeing.
2. The ‘original concession of non-objective art’ was surrendering to the demand that artists provide qualifying descriptions ‘revealing’ what the art is ‘about’ and what it ‘represents.’ In other words: that we make the non-representational into the representational via (con)text.
3. I was recently standing inside one of Serra's Torqued Ellipse in a room full of them and I decided that being inside his work is an experience of fear. No, it’s more than that - absolute terror.
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
Heather Levy on Gail Vollrath
Sharon Butler on Matthew Ballou
Mark L. Power on Steven Alexander
Steven Alexander on Mark L. Power
Molly Norris on M. Trigos
Ken Weathersby on Joseph Barbaccia
Sondra Arkin on Susan Tolbert
John M. Adams on Sharon Butler
Michael Paul Oman-Reagan on Brent Hallard
Daniel Mafe on Pam Farrell
Joanna Knox on John M. Adams
John Lucien Grillo on Joanna Knox
Brent Hallard on Lisa Klow
Joseph Barbaccia on John Lucien Grillo
Nice review of Michael's piece by M. Trigos.
We tend to build the way we think we see.
Perhaps interesting that Mondrian considered hmself the real Surrealist.
I have this piece on my desktop unaware that it would appear here, though knew something would.
I consider it 'a blue’ that will not go way, itself, declaring, an arabesque, shedding a shadow as a ghost’s whisper.
c.p.
Posted by: Brent | Monday, September 15, 2008 at 09:55 PM