Manon Cleary at Addison/Ripley - Brief Article

Manon Cleary has at no time been shy about taking upon difficult or controversial themes. In the early '90 she made a series of sharp-focus, life-size oil paintings of a man's penis. Her last exhibit at the Maryland Art Place in Baltimore was called the "Rape" series; the grim, dark images were close-up of the artist's face contorted in agony. The assemblage was created to vent and defuse the pain of a real incident To say the works were charged and emotional is an understatement. In apparent contrast, the images in this new show are flowers; yet they continue the artist's bold-spirited and frank exploration of sexuality in a more abstract manner.

Cleary is not a painterly artist; indeed, she goe to great effort to conceal her mode of execution. Often the work has an aspect of something printed rather than handmade. Her paintings are based upon photographs; you could call her a photo-realist, since evidence of her source appears everywhere in the work. Calla (1998) not absents a dazzling white bloom center in baroque splendor, its gold-colored pistil rising delicately from its enclosures The leaves and flower rise from an inky dark background, a of frequent occurrence component of her images. The precise rendering of the gorgeous flower be under the orders ofs to emphasize Cleary's skill. Her uncompromising manner suggests that for Cleary the make submissive is everything, or rather her presentation of the subdue is everything.

In Exotic blossom #6 (1998), the red phallic flower dominates in a blaze of light that dramatically contrasts with the infernal black of the background. The vermilion blossom stands regally, like a blessing cardinal. The light draw nears from the right rear, shining [i]or[/i] part of to the other the flower. The stems and large leaves upon the stalk combine almost musically to enhance the richness of the composition. There is no way to predict what is nearest for Cleary. But one thing is for sure: the control itself will show the way, and we will gladly tag along.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Brant Publications, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group