Al Souza
dal 6/9/2004 al 2/10/2004
Segnalato da
6/9/2004
Al Souza
Charles Cowles Gallery, New York
In his current exhibition Al Souza continues to use commercially-made puzzles as his medium to create vibrant works. This new body of work is all within a circular tondo format, which energizes the already dynamic collages of layered puzzles. This group of paintings takes his exploration of the compositional possibilities of puzzles whose subject matter includes kitschy soft-focus flowers, postage stamps, paint cans, space shuttles and watermelons.
In his current exhibition AL SOUZA continues to use commercially-made puzzles as his medium to create vibrant works. This new body of work is all within a circular tondo format, which energizes the already dynamic collages of layered puzzles. This group of paintings takes his exploration of the compositional possibilities of puzzles whose subject matter includes kitschy soft-focus flowers, postage stamps, paint cans, space shuttles and watermelons. Up close the work overwhelms the eye with intense detail, but from afar it creates a rich tapestry of color and texture in coherent compositions. SOUZA’s instinctive sense of balance counteracts the chaos produced by the layering of pattern.
Using manufactured puzzles instead of paint to create his fanciful compositions has opened up a whole community to SOUZA that he otherwise would never have encountered. SOUZA's network of jigsaw enthusiasts who hunt down and piece together puzzles for him crisscrosses the US. These untraditional friends add a hidden social element to the works that is of fundamental interest to SOUZA in choosing this medium.
SOUZA's solo exhibition Mix Master is on view at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, TN, through September 5, 2004. His work was recently exhibited at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, NC in a one-person exhibition titled Inverse Warp Field. His work is included in major public collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu; Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
The exhibition will be on view at the Charles Cowles Gallery at 537 West 24th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Chelsea. Hours are 10am to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday. There will be a reception for the artist on Thursday, September 9, from 6-8 pm.
For further information or photographs, please contact the gallery.
Above image: Melon Balls, 2004, puzzle pieces and glue on wood, 72 inch diameter
Charles Cowles Gallery
537 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011