Five paces back, however, reveal a decidedly serene minimalist relation between the basic components of the piece. The grid dissolves and is received by the eye as a total form. The viewer forgets the 8.5-by-11 inspiration and instead sees an irregular shape like no other, quietly coddled in the warmth of the raw linen. Foreground and background oscillate and are accentuated by the easily overlooked divide where the panels are bound together. This divide may be a clue as to what Warren is exploring. The crease ruptures the picture plane and yet disappears from sight when the viewer focuses on other aspects of the composition, much like the straight-lines-turned-topography to which the artist is drawn. This heady subject resides in the same territory as grappling with a physics lecture about curvilinear space or following a philosophical dialogue as it skirts close to a breaking point in logic. Warren’s paintings serve as a reminder that the ground you stand on is not as solid as you think — he highlights this for us by framing it in extraordinarily measured technique.
Comfort with ambiguity draws these artists together; Parker and Warren choose to share this sentiment with their audience like missionaries in a new land. Unlike missionaries, these two believe they don’t have the answer, just an answer. If the viewer can be comfortable with that uncertainty, the enjoyment of these paintings is limitless.
“New Paintings” works by Greg Parker + Noa Warren | at June Fitzpatrick Gallery at MECA, 522 Congress St, Portland | through October 31 | 207.879.5742
Ian Paige can be reached at ianpaige@gmail.com.
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