Dan's Papers - November 16, 2007 - Art Commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

A flurry of articles has recently been published about the galleries in and around East Hampton's Park Place, a venue that becomes a sort of "Gallery Walk." Literally. For a new gallery like Walk Tall, therefore, success lies not only in its art but also in its location, as viewers knowingly or unknowingly compare exhibits in close proximity to each other. There's also the ghost of other shops or galleries, which have inhabited the space that Walk Tall now occupies.

Admittedly, these concerns may seem unimportant in the long run, but setting and context are still important if you can believe experts of non-verbal communication, which this critic does.

Be that as it may, the current show by Christopher Engle is bouncy and sprightly, the works' colors and demeanors full of life and purpose. That's the initial reaction to Mr. Engle's paintings. Then we begin to go beyond the surface and realize that it's what we don't see at first that really matters. And what we don't see right away is a myriad of styles and sources which impact on the works.

For example, while the abstract configurations on the gallery floor remind us of Pollock's "drip" paintings, we are also reminded of Abstract Expressionism. And there it is in the broad brus strokes of Mr. Engle's "portraits." His facial distortions recall Picasso as well although we are not suggesting that Mr. Engle's paintings are derivative. The pieces are also similar to Trish Franey's subjects with their circus-like and primitive forms. And perhaps even Dubuffet.

Which gets us to the central point regarding the real source (we think) of Mr. Engle's paintings fueled by stream of consciousness and therapy. That the artist was an art therapist before coming to the Hamptons is no secret, and that idea permeates his "icons." It's as if he is replicating his patients' world on canvas. It's a fascinating and productive journey.

We aren't inferring that the images don't make sense even though they need interpreting from a non-linear perspective. Simply put, the figures and objects seem disconnected from each other when considering a "normal" point-of-view. Yet they do have meaning, nonetheless.

Take, for example, "Return," a figure with a mask-like outline drawn around his face. Is this indicating the "masking" of identity, which society demands of "outcasts?" Does the small figure in the background represent another identity altogether?

Other works, like "Icons" and "Shamans," feature three figures. It's too easy to mark these as different parts of the self, but perhaps the notion has some validity anyway when we consider the whole identity issue. Or perhaps the images symbolize a dream, an experience that we all can appreciate.

"Icons" by Mr. Engel will be on view at Walk Tall Gallery until November 29.