Dan's Papers - July 4, 2008

A term used to describe Jane Freilicher's work, now at Guild Hall, is appropriate for exhibitors Jane Wilson and April Gornik as well: "She captures the 'moment of the moment.'"

"Capturing the moment" is a high compliment, indeed, if a work is to be called art. Such a phenomenon is a dual experience, shared by both artist and spectator alike. It's mysterious and ultimately unexplainable. Even so, the term's denotation is clear enough. Not only is any phenomenon an observable fact or event, but also "any object known through the senses." There's no doubt that the essential quality signifying Freilicher's, Wilson's and Gornik's work evokes the senses.

At this point, one wonders if the notion that they are all women has anything to do with such an observation. Simply put, is the celebration of the senses gender based? It's a question that has been explored in the past, but may be considered again at another time and place. That being said, we still can't ignore that these women feel great passion toward both their subjects and their techniques. We still can't ignore that they can communicate this passion with clarity and feeling to both male and female viewers. We still can't ignore that we see their hearts and minds in every majestic brushstroke, color vista and intense composition.

In a nutshell, the paintings involve us in an unusual sensual experience - not only can we see their skies, fields and waves, we can smell the air, hear the birds, taste the water, and touch the flowers.

While this may be an obvious way to describe the experiential elements of these artists' work, it still seems appropriate. There's another aesthetic aspect of the artists' paintings relating to the senses - the tone or ambience created by the work. All three women are especially effective at establishing a mood or frame of mind. Consider Gornik's "Storm Sea," an overpowering image of waves crashing on the beach. It's a disconcerting setting, one that is potent and complex. It's also quite different from what we've come to expect from Gornik, where her skies and clouds convey a narrative that is open-ended, her subjects disappearing into the cosmos. In this painting, the "story" takes place on the ground, confined to strict boundaries, confronting the viewer with mighty implications. Wilson's "Sun and Rain" also suggests a story with her lowered yellow horizon conveying peace, her choppy green waves connoting possible danger. Finally, Freilicher's "Pierrot and Peonies" celebrates childhood memories with longing which we can all cherish.