I & II Gelber FluB, 1976; watercolor and graphite on two sheets of drawing paper mounted on cardboard, 12 3/8 x 9 5/16 in. (drawing, each)
Blinky Palermo has been one of my art heroes for a long time (I even named one of my cats after him); I love the way he stretches, lightens, deepens, loosens, a minimalist aesthetic. There is a buoyant energy in his work and a sense of free invention that raises my spirits and makes me feel: "I want to do that!". So it was a great treat for me to see a show of Palermo's works on paper at the David Zwirner Gallery in their beautiful new spacious building; there's also a great show of early Richard Serra works on the main floor.
1-4 Tageszeiten, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard in four parts,
9 1/2 x 7 in. (drawing) each
The works on view were mainly done in series, such as the one above. Palermo took an idea and worked variations on it. In the yellow paintings above, he just played with two variations on a formal theme, a jutting triangle, and bars of solid and empty space; visual responses shift with the changes, as they do with the more expressive marks of this four part piece.
1-4 Tageszeiten, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard, detail
There is a balance in all these drawings between a rigorous composition and a paint handling that is more open, that takes advantage of levels of transparency and of the energy of an uneven edge.
1-4 Tageszeiten, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard in four parts, 12 3/4 x 9 3/8 in (drawing) each
Red and black are very dramatic in combination and Palermo makes images that are almost emblems or flags, strong and simple.
1-4 Tageszeiten, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard in four parts, detail
The edge of the red is not smooth or fixed, but has a floating, wavering quality, reminding me of the softened edges of a Velazquez portrait, which gives life and solidity to a form.
1-4 Tageszeiten, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard in four parts, 12 1/2 x 9 3/8 in (drawing) each
In this series, we see variations on blue angles, where one or two simple lines change the shapes presented, change their weights, their place in space.
1-7 Untitled, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard, 12 5/8 x 9 3/8 in (drawing) each
Some of Palermo's series had color and form variations, such as this one.
1-7 Untitled, 1976; acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard, detail
Here again he was working with red and black, but also uses the paper as a formal participant. The sweep of red has such richness in its subtle irregularity of paint.
Das Gelbe Fenster, 1976; acrylic and graphite on two sheets of drawing paper mounted on cardboard,
11 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (drawing, each)
Yellow and black: shadow and light, but here a shadow with much going on within it. The upright yellow rectangle next to the tilted black creates a tug of war between regularity and imbalance.
Nevada, 1976; acrylic on two sheets of drawing paper mounted on cardboard, 12 5/8 x 9 3/8 in.
(drawing, each)
Nevada is another two part piece that sets up a bit of a contentious conversation between the parts. I love the fluid, transparent paint as it is set off by the more opaque reds. (as with all these images, you can see details more clearly if you click on them to enlarge.)
1-12 12 Monate, 1976, acrylic on drawing paper mounted on cardboard in twelve parts,
12 3/4 x 9 3/8 in. each (drawing), detail
Finally, this is one part from a twelve part work. I love its simplicity, the perfectly balanced blue to yellow, the way the yellow shows through the transparent blue, the directness of the marks. There is a simple poetry in all these small works, and a lyrical understanding of form and color that brings deep pleasure to a viewer.
(Most of the photos in this post are mine, except for the 2nd and 7th, which is why they have reflections in them; I wanted larger images and some details that the gallery website didn't offer; but check out the website for more works and installation shots.)
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