by donald dusinberre imartsyfartsy@gmail.com
On my most recent visit, I was pleased to see just two artists’ work at Bogda Gallery. I got the impression from Joy McGinnis, Bogda’s owner/curator, that she prefers to have more artists for each show. But for my money, seeing more work from fewer artists in an intimate space like Bogda affords us a chance to become better acquainted with each artist’s body of work.
For instance, Frank Matthews had nearly twenty works on display, and it was very obvious that the breadth of his capabilities would not have been demonstrated had he shown just five pieces. Painting primarily on wood panels with acrylic paints, Matthews has displayed two distinct stylistic strains at Bogda: still-lifes and abstracts.
Matthews’ still life paintings are far more numerous, but my favorites are the abstracted ones. A few of them are much larger than any of his other works, and he layers the paint to great effect. They aren’t completely abstract, as they do loosely portray trees, but to me, the image is far less important than the application.
Although his still-lifes are far more realistic, they too are less about their subjects and more about their technique. Some of them (particularly the jars and brushes) are reminiscent of early American art, primarily through the way he implies a thin, dark outline around the objects. With little indication of its direction, the sense of light is flat, somehow adding to the charm of his stoic paintings. Personally, I’m not fond of every one of them, but Matthews provides enough good ones to overshadow them.
Gail Taylor is the other artist currently displaying her work at Bogda. Her style is vastly different than Matthews, though not unlike many artists who enjoy painting flowers. Painted in a strictly realistic style, Taylor’s work is actually pretty good, which is unlike most flower-painting artists. Finally, orchids and lilies that aren’t oversimplified or artificially injected with extraneous detail.
Seriously, Taylor’s work is surprisingly sophisticated. I got the impression that she paints more for her own enjoyment than anything (which ought to be something we encounter more often than we do), which makes her work that much more impressive.
Taylor has a remarkable command over her color palette. She does not fall into the dreaded “tube color” trap, which claims so many floral paintings. Yes, I know they make some pretty colors, but talented artists know that they’ve got to mix them, and it appears that Taylor falls into the talented category. My favorite works by Gail Taylor are from a four-part series of orchids. The paintings are small, perhaps twelve-inches square, but they pack an elegant punch. With some simple yet handsome frames, the series is fit to hang in a Presidential library.
She has some larger close-up paintings, too. Though most less-talented artists beat us over the head with giant stamens made with giant boring brushstrokes, Taylor usually remembers to keep the detail proportional to the subject’s proximity. This exhibition will be on display at Bogda Gallery through the month of December. Use some of your holiday free time to check it out. Bogda is located on McDuff Street in Riverside, very close to Lee High School (former academic home of Lynyrd Skynyrd). As a matter of fact, on Saturday, December 8th, Bogda will be hosting a sidewalk craft fair. The fun starts around 9 am and may give you an opportunity to cross a few gifts off your list. For more information, contact Bogda at shopbogda@gmail.com.
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