Harriet Korman: New Paintings
Lennon, Weinberg, Inc.
560 Broadway, Ste. 308
New York, NY 10012
phone: 212-941-0012
April 16 - May 28, 2004
By Stephen
Mueller
Harriet Korman Untitled
2004
oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches
Courtesy Lennon, Weinberg
COVER May 14, 2004: Untitled 2003, oil on canvas, 28 x 22 inches
For many reasons there has
been a lasting mystique surrounding the work of Harriet Korman. She
is revered by her peers as well as by older and younger artists. Her
new show at Lennon, Weinberg is likely to perpetuate that particular
regard. Early twentieth century abstraction or "non objective painting"
as it was called then, comes immediately to mind. This however is not
Korman's aim or interest. Her work comes more out of conceptual-process
work of the seventies. Abstract is the key word here. Illusions, allusions,
light and space are assiduously avoided.
The compositions are improvised
and unpredictable. They fall into two categories, curvilinear and rectilinear.
There are also multi-panel and single panel works. The curvilinear based
on a kind of looping line that creates overlapping shapes; the compositions
work off the edge and confound conventional organizational logic by
turning away from every readable image. The linear are arrangements
of squares off set by triangles connecting oddly to the edges.
The astonishing feature in
all of the work is the use of color. It's pure out of the tube oil paint,
evenly applied, in strong (and generally uninflected) color. Korman
uses little white, except occasionally on it's own. The result is a
really intense color experience in stasis.
Korman's colors are anything
but ingratiating. Browns and other earth tones appear next to full force
greens, different reds are combined with full force blue. The compositions
are such that each color gets the opportunity to interact with four
or more others. The color relationships are almost always unexpected.
The paintings are mostly of a medium size and there are also a number
of small ones. The smaller pieces are especially satisfying little blasts
of active yet monastic feeling color.
A lot of people will look
at and puzzle with these paintings. They are uncompromising and even
what might be called difficult. The game plan is singular to Korman
and will most likely remain so.
