Dan's Papers - January 18, 2008 - Art Commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

EAST ENDERS IN NEW YORK: Part 111:
Paul Brach at Flomenhaft "Miniatures" at Nabi Gallery

An exhibition of Paul Brach's recent paintings at Flomenhaft Gallery in New York has assumed special meaning considering Mr. Brach's death a few months ago. Of course, it's also fair to say that any show of Mr. Brach's had special meaning. As Irving Sandler says, "In the late 1950s, Paul Brach was among the first New York School painters to direct abstract expressionism in a vital new direction. Since then he has explored the possibilities of this radical move in a singularly individual manner."

No statement could be closer to the truth, not only in this current show but also in Mr. Brach's last one at the Flomenhaft Gallery. The images were iconic, bold, colorful (in the artist's signature southwest hues) and abstract. Simply put, they were breathtaking. His themes were more complex: at once universal as they cast light on the secrets of the cosmos and its spirituality. Conversely, Mr. Brach's paintings were also concrete and specific, suggesting moods and feelings that were here and now, that anyone could identify with.

A recent painting shows winged horses floating above the purple/pink horizon. Does this mythic image convey the artist's new or old worldview, a transcendence of earthly concerns? Unfortunately, we will not have the honor of asking Mr. Brach himself.

A group exhibit at the Nabi Gallery, "Miniatures," features many East End artists, including "regulars" like Lewis Zaks, Kathy Buist and Simon Gaon, plus gallery newcomers like Rex Lau and Diana Mayo. Keeping with the theme of miniatures, Ms. Mayo has created a perky vessel that contrasts with her signature large "pots."

This work, particularly, evokes the personification that her previous pieces suggest. In fact, her ceramics are really "characters" with human traits. (But, of course, we must suspend our disbelief a great deal to come to this conclusion.) Even so, Ms. Mayo's "Bug" can morph into diverse things, all of them distinctive.

Lewis Zacks' "Venetian Reflections" is an oil painting, which also changes before our eyes. And well it should, considering that its subject is the varied shapes water can reproduce, especially in a Venice canal.

N.H. Stubbbing's East End scene, "Sagaponack Morning," also recalls change as colors merge one into the other. Kathy Buist's "Boating Pond" and "Golden Break" summon a similar mood with their impressionistic style on one hand and explosive color on the other.

All in all, Nabi's miniature format is quite effective, allowing for a viewing experience that's a welcome relief from most gallery shows. Thus, there are times that call for seeing things from a different perspective, which demand introspection and focus. This exhibit fits the bill.

Paul Brach's recent paintings will be on view at Flomenhaft Gallery through January 19. Call (212) 268-4952. "Miniatures" at the Nabi Gallery will be available for viewing through January. Call (212) 929-6063.