September 14, 2012
Paintings by Don Voisine at the Gregory Lind Gallery in San Francisco
In the hands of most artists, large black geometric forms placed in a symmetric format might be appealing for about three seconds. But in the skillful hands of Brooklyn based artist Don Voisine, large dark rectangular planes vibrate, each singing a unique song.
Currently, the Gregory Lind Gallery in San Francisco is showing a new series of oil paintings on wood by the artist. In 1980, Voisine began working with imagery derived from floor plans of places he inhabited. Over the decades the paintings became more abstract and minimal, yet still retaining a reference to architecture. In this show, Voisine presents overlapping planes of black, set against a white background, outlined by opposing bands of color. Using unusual angles, the interplay of negative and positive spaces, and minimal shots of color, the artist creates the illusion of movement and energy within a tightly constrained space.
Voisie says, "Architecture - a language of space - delineates boundaries, exposes points of access, exit or entry, and enables the user to interact with the structure of a defined space. This simple vernacular of architecture informs my paintings. Working with symmetry and a standardized format to reduce variables, I establish borders on all planes. Color activates an apparent void; a reflective surface opens a window into the painting, both mirroring and obscuring the view. Such devices restrict and ultimately reveal the interior spaces, establishing a fluid subjectivity between the viewer and the work."
- Eyeswoon