Monthly Art Column (6/2/16 Issue)

Ed Moses, “Scratch Up,” 2016, acrylic on canvas, 72 inches by 60 inches. – Courtesy photo

By Jeff Davis

Ed Moses@90 is currently on exhibit at the William Turner Gallery in Bergamot Station Arts Center (2525 Michigan Ave., suite E-1, Santa Monica) through June 25. For more information, call (310) 453-0909 or visit www.williamturnergallery.com.

The exhibit occupies both the Turner gallery and the former Santa Monica Museum of Art building. There are over 40 paintings and drawings on display between the two spaces. While not quite a museum size retrospective, the show includes a few architectural drawings from the 1950s, graphite drawings form 1960s, a number of grid/cross-hatch works from the 1970s, and the bulk of the exhibit is large scale abstract canvases from 1999 through 2016, as well as several mirror paintings. I left the show thinking, “wow” – even at the age of 90, the man produces top-notch work – he just keeps on ticking.

What I love most about Moses’ paintings is they always leave me trying to figure out how he achieved a particular effect on the canvas. What causes the infused iridescence; how is the craquelure textured and the rope splatter created? How are the negative spaces and tapestry pattern transfers achieved? His works are among the few that have led me to Google searching for answers.

Ed Moses, “WK-Sky,” 1999, acrylic on canvas, 72 inches by 60 inches. – Courtesy photo

Another rare aspect of a Moses exhibit and his work is that you rarely find a mediocre piece; he constantly edits his output, essentially culling the weak from the chaff. When I visited his studios a few years back he said that he was painting up to 400 works a year and that 50 percent of the paintings produced in any year were destroyed for quality control and another 200 from prior year’s work had to go as well; he had seen too many other prolific artist fail to blue-pencil their work before they retired. One also has to appreciate the variation of his painting over time; he is absolutely fearless in terms of experimentation, evolution, displaying a willingness to let go of control and make mistakes. He does not seem to need acceptance or approval from critics, curators, collectors, or even gallery owners. If you have a chance, see if you can arrange a studio visit with Moses at his Venice compound. It is a unique experience to say the least; see how long you can hang around without getting kicked out.

Just steps away from Moses@90 you will find “Straight from Cuba: A Woman’s Perspective,” through July 10 at Lois Lambert Gallery: www.loislambertgallery.com.

The exhibit features work by six Cuban women including: Belsey Cobiellas Cruz, Alicia de La Campa Pak, Lisandra Isabel Garcia, Laura Carralero Morales, and Adislen Reyes Pino.

Lisandra Isabel Garcia, “Untitled,” acrylic on canvas, 39.5 inches by 27 inches. – Courtesy photo

Each artist’s work reflects Cuba’s current political concerns, social dynamics, and gender issues. While all of the artists are impressive the most interesting for me was the work of Lisandra Isabel Garcia. Her paintings feature clean black lines silhouetting a woman’s body (Lisandra’s) in lingerie or underwear. The interior spaces are filled with precise drawing of images by European masters including Botticelli, Goya, Ingres, and Velazquez.

The painting technique of the referenced images is so exact you could easily mistake them for a screen print or lithography image, but they are not. Her work compares the classic definition of beauty vs. Western ideals that today’s society suggests for women.

While clearly introspective work the artist does not explicitly explain her point of view – rather it is up to the observer to interpret the paintings and what she thinks of her own image. This show is another example of the extremely talented (and reasonably priced) artists that Lois Lambert Gallery continues to bring from Cuba.

Other Opportunities:

Annenberg Space for Photography: “Refugee” is currently showing until Aug. 21. Photos from five internationally acclaimed artists explore the lives of refugees from Bangladesh, Cameroon, Columbia, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Myanmar, Serbia, Slovenia, and the United States.

The photographs are accompanied by a documentary film showing the photographers at work adding texture and context to the pictures in the exhibit. The film really leaves you wanting to know more about the about the subjects; we never find out if they achieve asylum, integrate into society or what happens to them when or if they are settled. “Refugee” contains some graphic images that many not be suitable for all viewers. For more information visit: https://annenbergphotospace.org/exhibits/refugee.

LACMA: Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715 – 2015 (through Aug. 21) explores the history of men’s fashion from the 18th century through the present. The exhibit features 200 looks starting with the male aristocrat of the 18th century’s three-piece suit, followed by the 19th century “dandy” from Savile Row, the “mod” of the mid-20 century’s Carnaby Street, and finally the 21st century “skinny suit.” The equation of femininity and fashion vs. today’s definition of masculinity is also re-examined. Visit www.lacma.org/ReigningMen#landing for more information.

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