Dan's Papers - April 11, 2008 - Art Commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Spanierman's current show curated by Arlene Bujese "Light of Spring," rhymes with Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." If we consider that "light" signifies a passage from winter to spring, it's not so difficult to imagine that Stravinsky's great composition was also a kind of physical passage - from more melodic traditions to his own expressionistic dissonance.

To say that some paintings in the show represent a "rite" for their creators does not involve a huge leap of faith either. It's simply a way of characterizing the evolution and/or change of the work. Such developments may not necessarily be recent ones, however. And the artists may disagree with the assessment.

Deborah Black's "Afternoon Field," "Bluff" and "Glade" are good examples of works where the artist has created a spontaneity and vitality that is not only different from previous pieces, but uplifting and transformative. (The fact that Ms. Black's style also seems more expressionistic than past paintings speaks to the idea suggested in Stravinsky's "Rite.")

Roy Nicholson's "Vernal Passage" series literally represents a "rite" in its title as well, although we don't want to be presumptuous and suggest what kind of passage. Is it Mr. Nicholson's change in brush strokes, color or theme? In his previous garden series of several years ago, transition between foreground / background and exterior / interior may have symbolized life and death (or a whole range of dynamics). We don't see these same oppositions at work in his current pieces. Maybe the "rite" is the pervasive, rhythmic imagery that we experience.

Priscilla Bowden's local scenes signal a "rite" or change as well when considering her large landscapes or Nova Scotia settings. Her current pieces are mostly small, concentrated and concrete, literally bursting with spirit like fireworks ("Two Yellow Trees"). Her mood has evolved also, especially seen in "Sag Harbor Turnpike," where a strange magic realism prevails. It's a case of seeing a familiar place in a new "light," both literally and figuratively.

Reconfiguring a well-known area is also accomplished by Robert Dash in his "Sag Main" series. Juxtaposing primarily abstract imagery with a subtle hint of real objects evokes a chaotic sense of place, a mood that is not normally associated with this locale. Yet who better to characterize Sag Main than Mr. Dash who lives close by?

Once more, as with Ms. Bowden's "Sag Harbor Turnpike," we see Mr. Dash's turf in a new and provocative way. Perhaps it's not the artists who have undergone a "rite" of passage, but the places themselves.

"Light of Spring" will be on view at East Hampton's Spanierman Gallery until April 21.