New York Studio
"Mindful Portraits on view at Left Bank Gallery"
Bret Chenkin, Bennington Banner, June 1998
The Left Bank Gallery is currently hosting the work of New York artist, Donna Maria deCreeft. deCreeft’s work can be characterized as mindful portraits of the collective unconscious. Her concern, as explained in the artist’s statement, is to transcend the limitations inherent in traditional subject matter,
This feat is accomplished by incorporating symbols, shapes, modes, and tones and excerpts from various ancient texts, on rough linen canvas and paper.
In this way, she seeks to realize certain personal goals. This includes depicting abstract concepts and uniting the intellectual and intuitive experience within the creative process.
Each work is housed under glass in frames that have been handcrafted out of old wood. Size ranges from the intimate to works that can easily dominate a mantelpiece.
Displayed in this fashion and compounded by the antiquarian appearance of the paintings, the Left Bank has been transformed from a contemporary art gallery, to a room in a museum.
Text and tacticity are the two main elements in these works. The texts are gleaned from various esoteric sources. In some pieces, such as "Mysterious Fragments" and "Shakti", a combination of cross-cultural references occur. Sanskrit, Latin, Greek and alchemical, celestial musings are jotted down side-by-side in a haphazard manner, along with ancient mythological symbols and natural shapes.
The randomness of their placement may allude to the harried mind of a genius, or god, or of our own, incredibly expressive consciousness.
Writings and symbols are to be interpreted pictorially. deCreeft emphasizes that it is not important to understand the text, or even attempt to. The focus here is on their direct, visual impact upon our intuition.
The second element of the work, the physical aspect of the paintings, is achieved in a number of ways. Canvases are torn, and ripped, and then sewn together. Acrylic is applied and manipulated. At times, she allows for the paint to dry thinly, in others, a process of incrustation is encouraged. Colors are muted and confined to earth tones, which hearken sensuality, and reds are used for symbolic meaning.
Collages of botched work are also employed. They too are designed to portray the supra-historic quality of the progression of both natural and human time.
Themes hover around the cosmic and religious. Images and ideas recall primal voices.
Klee can be considered an influence, as well as Miro and Arp. This is observed in her reliance on organic shapes, particularly leaves, ovals, and bifurcated root-like objects, as is obvious in the piece entitled "Tree".
Playful and clever, many of the works resemble medieval codices, or fragments
from a Gnostic, or Hindu text.
One danger, however, in this wholesale appropriation, is that a work ceases to be artistic and falls instead into the category of quaint mimicry.
deCreeft avoids this pitfal by constantly working and reworking the subject, thus stressing the imprint of the artist as integral to a painting.
She also attempts to convey this mysterious union of the mind and soul on paper. However, the bleached effect of the paper, and the pale colors used in those works, when set inside a bone frame, only detracts from their poignancy.
Overall, what is refreshing about deCreeft’s work is that they radiate a positive, wholesome energy. The show is up until July 15, and is worth the visit.