Frumkin & Struve Draws Upon Diversity
Diane Marsh “Untitled” oil on paper 40" x 30" 1983
Diane Marsh “Untitled” oil on paper 40" x 30" 1983
Frumkin & Struve Draws Upon Diversity
Chicago Tribune, January 24, 1985 By Alan G. Artner, Art critic.
A GOOD DEAL of art produced today can be classified quite simply: The figure is strong, form weak and content nonexistent.
The Frumkin & Struve Gallery, 309 W. Superior St., is proposing alternatives. Seven artists--three of them new to the gallery--have created works that are very much of our time yet are perhaps more mindful of each of the three conditions.
Take Diane Marsh. She is as fascinated by strong emotional states as any of her Neo-Expressionist colleagues but conveys them clearly, unmistakably, through realist painting. The artist is her own subject, acting out common emotions that usually are embarrassing to witness. The force of the encounter --not to mention the strength of Marsh`s technique--gives the enterprise a feeling of authenticity. It is not merely the role-playing of a Cindy Sherman.
Ellen Soderquist`s drawings are more classical. Large in scale, they meticulously depict human figures without recourse to the distancing effects of photography. The antecedent is, perhaps, Chuck Close, minus his emphasis on photographic process.Susan Kay Johnson, the only sculptor, also reminds one of a Superrealist, namely, John de Andrea. Her nude figures, however, are all gray, underlining their artifice. It is the single case where the artist`s method is not distinguishing enough.Peter Dean, Mark Mulhern, Michelle Stone and James Valerio all have been seen at the gallery in recent months. Still, Mulhern and Stone have made some significant formal advances and an early Valerio canvas treats adolescent voyeurism in a way that challenges even Eric Fischl. Their contributions assure an unusually diverse and accomplished show. (Through Feb. 19.)
Take Diane Marsh. She is as fascinated by strong emotional states as any of her Neo-Expressionist colleagues but conveys them clearly, unmistakably, through realist painting. The artist is her own subject, acting out common emotions that usually are embarrassing to witness. The force of the encounter --not to mention the strength of Marsh`s technique--gives the enterprise a feeling of authenticity. It is not merely the role-playing of a Cindy Sherman.
Ellen Soderquist`s drawings are more classical. Large in scale, they meticulously depict human figures without recourse to the distancing effects of photography. The antecedent is, perhaps, Chuck Close, minus his emphasis on photographic process.Susan Kay Johnson, the only sculptor, also reminds one of a Superrealist, namely, John de Andrea. Her nude figures, however, are all gray, underlining their artifice. It is the single case where the artist`s method is not distinguishing enough.Peter Dean, Mark Mulhern, Michelle Stone and James Valerio all have been seen at the gallery in recent months. Still, Mulhern and Stone have made some significant formal advances and an early Valerio canvas treats adolescent voyeurism in a way that challenges even Eric Fischl. Their contributions assure an unusually diverse and accomplished show. (Through Feb. 19.)
