Anne Seidman, artblog contributor, painter, web guru and pal, has a show of line drawings opening June 15 in New York at George Billis Gallery. (Artist’s reception is Thursday, June 17, 6-8 pm.)You may have seen Seidman’s stealth color pencil wall drawings around town. The first one I remember seeing was at her Fleisher Challenge show in 2001.
Recently, she installed a drawing at Ursinus College in the nice show,now closed, “Affect.” (see Libby’s post) (image top is installation from “Affect” and right below is “Untitled” 2002)
What I love about Seidman’s work in general and about her line drawings in particular is the suggestion of individuality within a larger group and the quiet sense of community. You can read the works variously, since they are abstract and mostly untitled. But I’ve always found a humanist strain in the side by side by side lines and shapes in the work.
Unlike in the real world, Seidman’s world is a no conflict zone made up of companionable nudging. There’s a suggestion of competition and — especially in the paintings — an evocation of wounds healing that may reference emotional or spiritual bruising.
I am reminded of Tim McFarlane’s paintings in which urban landscapes suggest people and community. (read earlier post on McFarlane)
And in the line drawings, built slowly with colored pencil, hand drawn and responding to the space, the sense of motion brought on by the tightly packed lines evokes sheets of rain — and the march of time.
Check out the artist’s flash enhanced website. It’s a trip.
