Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot physically see with his eyes. Abstract art enables the artist to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an explosion into unknown areas. — Arshile Gorky
Millennial Abstractions is a timely survey of recent paintings and sculpture by artists from the Los Angeles and San Francisco regions.
Since the start of the new millennium, many artists have responded to the horrors of 9/11, the Iraq War, and the life-changing impacts of climate change with a fragmented, dissociative, deconstructed focus. Unlike abstractions that we have seen in the past, however, these new works are more vibrant and evocative. The artists’ choice of color, form, shapes, and mark making can be experienced as transformational and inspiring in the deepest sense.
Abstractions are both seductive and challenging, inviting contemplation and reverie. In the liminal space of an abstract work of art, our perceptions are free-flowing and transitional. We know the world is changing and growing rapidly, with seven billion people and counting. How we respond to these changes and cope with them can be supported by art that makes room for our deepest cultural and personal concerns.
The artists in this exhibition share a sense of authenticity, surrender, and fearlessness that invites you as the viewer to be inspired in an external way rather than through introspection.
Patricia Watts, Curator
.jpg)
