Dan's Papers - May 30, 2008 - Art Commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

Sag Harbor's Winter Tree Gallery provides both a quaint and historic setting for art exhibits. The white row house, with charming nooks and crannies, recalls a bygone whaling village that still evokes echoes of a salient past, including the town's part in the Revolutionary War.

On the contrary, Alexander Russo's abstract figurative paintngs are timeless, often archetypical in nature, and can't be pinpointed to a particular place, like history can. This observation does not suggest that Russo's work is without a connection or relevance to human nature or man's search for meaning in a world which is, indeeed, driven by history.

Russo's art is about man's journey through time and space, a journey that leads him both to the source or beginning as well as to the end. His work, "Hide and Seek," is a perfect description of these dynamics: our "path" is mysterious and often unknown, yet we search to find it, nonetheless.

Such an unknown and "secret" place can be discerned in "Angel II," where purple shadows reveal cave figures of the underworld. While Russo obviously didn't have a popular film in mind, this critic can't help but recall Indiana Jones' search for Noah's ark in one of these caves. Certainly, the movie hero's search is for a tangible item, while Russo's journey is no doubt more metaphysical. Perhaps, in the long run, so is Indiana Jones.'

Russo's journey is as elusive as Jones' when figures begin to emerge from the swirling shapes. But then we're not sure if we really see a woman in "Pulsating Configuration" or not. When we finally do receive a female head in "Angel II," it has disappeared again.

The viewer's perspective is also elusive: Often we feel as if we are outside the cave, looking down a chasm. Sometimes we feel we are inside Russo's world, looking straight ahead in "Emerging Figure." Like the artist's own journey, we have not come to the end of ours either.

Narbal's works, while also abstract, give a more definitive view of life, his shapes suggesting a map of sorts, a well-defined way to reach a destination. Such destinations must surely reach many places at once since Narbal has connections to diverse cultures, including Latin, Oriental, European and African sources. Narbal's bold use of color, composition and forms speak well for his passionate belief that literal and figurative boundaries must be transcended.

Russo's and Narbal's works will be on view at Sag Harbor's Winter Tree Gallery until June 17. Call 631-725-0097.