Last week I went to a gallery containing art by Mercedes Matter. The paintings were shown chronologically with the earliest being childhood drawings. Almost all were still life paintings portraying a table with fruit in bowls or piles, with the work getting more and more abstract as we moved through the gallery. By the time that we had gotten to the last painting, it was difficult to recognize the table and fruit. It looked instead like a mix of colors and triangles.
Our tour guide discussed the artist’s use of color and shapes, pointing out that each painting had its own color scheme. Each one was also dominated by triangular shapes. For example, the tables themselves were often painted as triangles, and were broken up into smaller triangles as well. What stood out to me was how she interpreted a simple still life of a tabletop in so many different ways. Even though many of the pieces were based on the same concept, they had different shapes and colors, and were unique.
I thought that the gallery was an interesting look into abstract art, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in that kind of work.
What stood out to me was how she interpreted a simple still life of a tabletop in so many different ways. Even though the pieces were based on the same still life–a tabletop and fruit– they varied in their shapes, colors, and mood.
Was there anything that stood out to you?