Stephen Magsig: Nocturne in Blue & Grey #2
A heap of metal and coal, this giant machine tries to intimidate the viewer — but fails. It’s odd, but the black so totally dominating this piece emits vapors of acceptance and assimilation; its inherent neutral quality is given a free play, particularly as there are almost no brighter colors to oppose the darkness, and remind the viewer that black is… well, black. Moreover, there’s also a lot of gray, and in different values. The richness that the artist elicits from this seemingly unremarkable color is quite remarkable — at some spots it almost turns to white. It seems as though there’s warmth glimmering inside the plant, as if it had a heart and a bloodstream, as the crimson dot on top of one of the chimneys insinuates. Looking at this painting I’m thinking about Zola’s coal mines, and, not so much about the misery, but the camaraderie of the workers.
It appears that the rhythmic patterns in this piece are conducive to an emotionally approving interpretation: the three chimneys arising so close one to the other and the three lights beneath and to the left evoke a sense of fellowship and togetherness. There is a subtle subterranean glorification of labor and community in this depiction, a notion I have had only a brush with as kid living in the USSR. It may seem symbolical and surprising that this idea resurfaces in such an outspokenly antagonistic to the deceased communist state place. It is definitely not surprising that a work of art bridges the political gap, but I will stop before drowning in the flood of cliches. Speaking of drowning, the river adds a touch of tranquility, but also of suspense. “Still waters run deep;” the river, though probably contaminated, can still stand for the communal power, potentially unbridled. Still can’t manage without a cliche. Where is the world going?!
The artist uses little orange to describe the sunset, but exploits it to the maximum, installing a somewhat nostalgic mood, so characteristic of this time of the day. The atmosphere is the key element here: the general mood of the piece as well as the real actual air in it. I think that the latter pushes the formal style slightly towards impressionism — we witness only the remnants of the day’s light, but it magnetically draws the bulk of our attention. There is indeed a distant resemblance to Monet’s landmark “Impression: Sunrise,” as the lights reflected in the water go seesaw and the bright spot above reminds of the rising sun. Perhaps the shift towards a livelier and shakier style compensates for the general monochromatism. Being limited to one color, the artist makes it move and vibrate, in what may seem (in the context of his oeuvre) like an opportunistic trick. The thing is, opportunism in art means creativity and imagination — and the ability to act upon them.
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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 9:04 pm and is filed under Daily/Frequent Painters, Stephen Magsig. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
on October 29, 2007 at 3:31 pm Casey Klahn wrote:
Thanks for introducing us to Stephen’s and Tracy’s work recently. They are Very enjoyable and readable critiques.
I whole heartedly endorse your reviews of historic artworks. They provide interesting and unique reads.
on October 30, 2007 at 3:57 pm elijah wrote:
Thanks, Casey, for both angles:). I was hoping to bring the two together, because there is nothing like discussing working artists and seasoning it with the classics. I also think that writing about historic artworks gives me perspective and may help to improve my critical ability.
Thanks again,
Elijah