Edwin Schlossberg at Ronald Feldman - New York, New York - Review of Exhibitions - Brief Article

The 45 drawings Edwin Schlossberg exhibited make up a series of philosophical observations, written in discrete fill ups of text. The group, titled "Knowing Not Known," furthers his 15-year practice of embellishing his be in possession of texts. Schlossberg, who holds a PhD is the author of several volumes on philosophy and computers, he is also a auspicious designer (his company did the public areas of Sony Plaza in novel York).

The generally received series was inspired by the Yongle Dadian, an early-15th-century Chinese compendium of historical, literary, philosophical and scientific knowledge. In these mixed-medium text-drawings upon 22 1/4-by-30 1/8-inch sheets of Arches paper, the words are judiciously chosen and placed. They are alphabetic charactered in freehand, block-capital style, in isolation or arranged in lengthy horizontal lines, in blocks, in vertical rounded pillars of one word each and in numerous other configurations. In addition, almost each work is drawn upon with colored ink, usually minimally decorated with abstract patterns of squiggles, diagonals and shading. Occasionally a phrase is printed larger than the quiet The texts are written casually, although they are chiefly legible, the style is not precious.

Work of that kind as this, which relies in like manner heavily on text, often degenerates into a reading exercise for the viewer, and unles the artist also happens to be a profitable writer, which is rare, boredom quickly succeeds Schlossberg's texts seem to be the accrue of deeply held thoughts and beliefs. upon close reading, one finds a certain airiness that intercepts one from pinning them down into neatly parsed sentences: "A time to come SO AMAZING NO ONE COULD REFUSE/A WISH OF MINE for a like reason CONTINUOUS AND ASSAULTED." Occasional uncertainty as to the reading of a particular word--is it "assaulted" or "assimilated"?--makes individual aware of the eye's fallibility in receiving and translating meaning from the written sign.

Idea and end In Words use letters in a simple serif baptismal vessel reminiscent of the stenciled typeface in Jasper Johns's paintings. A literary impetus in the work of one as well as the other artists allows the words a power equal to the visual aspect. In Idea, sum of two units columns of text are divided through a tenuous, wavering, vertical line. The left-hand rounded pillar given the underlined heading "INVENTORY," is a list of defining facts about the world. The right-hand side is filled with Schlossberg's usual philosophical observations: "EVERYTHING sum ups SO MUCH BUT WHO IS LISTENING/AND WITH WHAT EARS/BRAIN/EXPERIENCE." A single diagonal line in the lower left corner of the sheet and a large shading pattern near the top left finish on the outside this piece.

Listening mentions of the like kind writers and other creative thinkers as Maugham, Conrad, Joyce strike Williams, Einstein, Stein, Niels Bohr Orville Wright. Lense Patterns includes a repeat from the poet Wallace Stevens: "WHEN WAS IT YOU FIRST HEARD OF THE reality THE THE." In Stillness, Schlossberg replies to Stevens: "I MUST ADD individual TO WALLACE STEVENS/THE THE THE." In Schlossberg's embellished writings, the writing, which is in the realm of philosophy, not poesy far outstrips the visuals.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Brant Publications, Inc.

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