new abstraction at D'Amelio Terras

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Roger White Cloth 2006 oil on canvas 54" x 38"


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Chris Martin Mother Popcorn 2006-2007 oil and collage on canvas 64" x 59"


D'Amelio Terras has two dynamite shows up at the same time, and they will both be running for almost four more weeks, until August 10. "Heralds of Creative Anachronism", which occupies the gallery's smaller space, includes five abstract works by four artists, Joe Bradley, Daniel Hesidence, Chris Martin [see also my July 17 post], and Roger White.

The gallery describes the choice of four male painters for this show as a deliberate reference to the 60's art group known as BMPT (Daniel Buren, Olivier Mosset, Michel Parmentier, Niele Toroni), but admits that the exhibition is "a light-hearted attempt to create a movement, even a temporary one, for the duration of this exhibition". In fact I think what they're saying is that the idea here, very unlike BMPT's, is to question the whole notion of movements or "schools" in the practice of contemporary abstract painting.

Whatever the show's conceit, the work is terrific.

No curator is credited.