naturalistic paintings is the supremacy of abstraction in art.

Photo subi ed

JOE ANBCE: Banana. Oil on canvas (30 X 36 in.) - What is ultimately revealed in these seemingly

efore and after science

°

Playing w

New Work, Joe Andoe at the Heffel Gallery, 2247 Granville St.,
Vancouver. Nov. 12 to Dec. 12. ‘‘Science and other fictions,”
Richard Prince at the Equinox Galfery, 2321 Granville St., Van-
cauver. Nov. 12 to Dec. 3.

HAT WE sometimes forget when we attempt to

make distinctions between abstraction and repre-

sentation in art is that consciousness is essentially
a chance biological invention to begin with, and human
creativity, as a particular function of consciousness, is ar-
tificial and abstract by nature.

The creation of the laws of
perspective during the
Renaissance, for instance — laws
on which our current notions of
naturalistically represented “real-
ity’ are at least partly founded —
was no less a product of abastract
thinking than were the symbolic
contents, mythological, religious
or otherwise, embodied in
Renaissance culture itself.
Western art did not become

“abstract” when it relinquished
its hold on naturalism at the end of
the last century; it only became
less naturali

Ron Falcioni
ART REVIEW

uf its force fram its enigmatic ex-
ploration of the abstract dynamics

44 Andoe confirms the contradictory
nature of reality artificially
recreated. 9F

Ostensibly, it traded one set of of symbolic counterpoint.
content, in which man was clear- Of the 20 works on display
ly and traditionally recognizable, the Hetie! Ga tery, it is And
for another set in which he was large canvases that leave the most
superseded by conceptual haunting impression - seemingly
speculations that increasingly dwvarting the sivmificance at the
derived trons the reaims of science }
and mathematics erely traded a
one set of abstractions tor another 7 e hadtorthe exhibit

The Now Word ot Ohiahone are rend gh sina
tist Joe Andge. currently on J Mwhether by ent Orin.
display at Heltel Gallery antl Dec. advertence, seems tu be their abil:
12, calls into question the very ity tointorea the observer aoe
role and meaning of abstraction in direct him tewhates tune tonaity
contemporary art, while Richard Significant Ure parmtans.
Prince’s new exhibitor, Scrence Inthe three rod “tuck
and Other Fictions, av the Fauinoy SIratowranmts for oxaniple

Hery until Decl 3) dervesimuch Possibly the and a DCOES IN

—

th the parameters of abstraction in art

the show — the overall rejection
of colar is implicit.
in the three ‘celephone pole”

etchings, which impose am-
biguous fruit-like shapes into pic-
ture planes already hali-filed with
inky darkness, the rejection af the

ward trappings of human ar-

eas a desired content is im-

In the “bunana and fruit” et-
ching, which becomes a thematic
trio by extension into two of the
large paintings, the rejection of
multiplicity of content is implicit.

In the three “‘swan"’ aquatint-
etchings, one of which might be
seen as prototype or study for the
large painting of the same subject,
the observei ts at last provided a
formidable hint as to the technical
influence of the printmaking pro-
cess on both the conception and
execution of the paintings
themselves.

What is characteristic of these
last etchings is also iundamentally
characteristic of the large can-
vases. the rubbed" effect of the
image and the retention of the in-
ky black ground.

Irrespective of content, whether
the subject is a horse, a swan or a
four-fout banana, v nat is brought
into play in these paintings is the
artificial relationship created by
the interaction of a single natural
subject lycically portrayed and the
black void that contains and
defines it compositionally.

Divested of colar, context and
even of specific symbolic meaning
- precisely because they are
divested of conteat and despite
gallery owner Robert fleffal’s at-
tribution of sexual connntations to
the benana - these Canvases
consttute ao intelectual mquiy
into the noture of diusioen aod real
itv. on the one hand, and the
dichotomy af representation and
abstraction on the ather,

By masquerading a large canvas
in the wuise ofan etching or
VCO Versa de COrdinys LO Gres
perspectives - Andou contri.

eo Ainibution pave &8B

o> setsuip thls.

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