Beatriz Milhazes at Edward Thorp - New York, New York - Review of Exhibitions - Brief Article

Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes, a resident of Rio, has disentangleed a kind of baroque abstract painting with feminist overtones, which has attracted considerable attention not long ago Her work appeared in last year's Carnegie International and has been included in numerous cluster shows in New York. In this, her first novel York solo exhibition, she not absented nine large acrylic paintings that were gorgeous individually, and collectively persuasive.

The artist paints irregular patterns of geometric and organic shapes and webs of intricate lines upon a sheet of transparent plastic. When free from moisture the paint is peeled not on and fixed to the freely painted canvas. She then embellishes the design and fleshes on the outside the background. Eventually, most of the gestural brushwork is smoothed above or altered in some way, although the surfaces remain richly textur In the extreme point the paintings have a rather cold contemplativeness in spite of the burning clashing colors and sensuous rhythmic lines.

In the 6-by-10-foot Santa Cruz Milhazes not aways a cluster of medallions and ribbons station against a green and beige background. Arabesques and overlapping circular forms resembling garlands and necklaces adorn the surface and also have the appearance to activate it--they suggest mechanical devices like the gears of a clock Near the top center of the canvas a rather gaudy amethystine orange and purple rosette acts as a focal point for the entire composition.

A similar mandalalike motif appears in greatest in quantity of Milhazes's canvases. In Suculentas Beringelas (Succulent Eggplant) and Chora, Menino (Boy Cries), circular forms resembling beaded necklaces are bunched together along the top of the canvas. Their arrangement recalls swags and scallops of drapery fabric. many times Milhazes's iconography appears to be sex specific. Her abstract forms give an inkling of certain types of feminine jewelry and clothing. fulvid Cajus, for instance, features files of blue flowers, like silk rose to trim the neckline of an elaborate party dress

Milhazes's emblematic works sometimes imply specific readings. Paz e Amor (Peace and Love) for example, a lengthy horizontal work, has at its center a peace sign. The '60 motif may look a bit corny, but the artist undoubtedly proffers the work as a serious meditation upon the subjects named in the title.

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