This is where the artist shifts the gears of inspiration from Malevich to Kandinsky: these are much more chaotic, dancing and moving pieces, characteristic of the latter painter. Figurative remnants in the form of flowers and branches suggest that Don Li-Leger wants to create an original synthesis — his own interpretation of Kandinsky’s pure abstract style — a “contamination” of a sort. This is an admirable goal, but it remains questionable whether the artist truly achieves it.
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My first reaction to these paintings (Don Li-Leger art.com page indicates his tapestries as most popular) was to notice how the sound of their titles accords with the long, narrow shape. I realize that this is a somewhat irrational response, yet sometimes things — sounds and shapes in this case — just click. It’s as if the “a”s are given space to sprawl, from one square to another: in the case of Aura, each square may be assigned a syllable, like a musical note. Karma and Aura signal another turn in Don Li-Leger’s experimentation with the abstract-landscape ensemble (following the Iris Nine Patch and the Poppy Nine Patch). He sets these particular works apart by assigning them an unusual shape, consequently refreshing the entire concept.
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By changing the color of just two or three patches, the artist drastically transforms the mood from calm and cool (the print you see below) into hectic, unpredictable and tense (the following print). In a way, this shift encompasses the entire spectrum of the artist’s nine patch series, from the pale and nearly monochromatic bamboo versions, to more balanced poppy variations (discussed in previous review) to the dense tropical paintings. It may symbolize a seasonal change or the onset of evening, when neutral blues and sunny golds give way to dark bloody reds and iridescent oranges. Either way, the palettes differ so much it would seem that only the flowers, as a nominal common element, bind the two versions.
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Don Li-Leger is a truly universal artist who has traveled around the world, studied under many important painters and illustrators and worked and experimented with a wide range of media and themes. Check out the websites of art galleries that exhibit his work: Canada House Gallery, Hambleton Galleries, Petley-Jones Gallery, White Rock Gallery. One of his latest abstract (or perhaps pseudo-abstract) paintings (the Poppy Nine Patch) occupies the third place on art.com Best Seller list: it is a warm, welcoming piece that shows a playful sense of humor and a broad high-spirited appeal; it also marks the culmination of the artist’s career and creative searches. The synthesis of the abstract element of dissection and deconstruction with the more traditional landscape theme of poppies is complete and somehow “wise.” Neither part dominates the other and the piece soothes with balance and overall harmony .
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This is a more balanced piece than the celebrated Cigar Bar: there is more congruence between the woman’s figure and gestures and the general moody atmosphere. It’s remarkable how the artist makes a completely different statement by basically replicating the premise — painting the same scene, with only a few changes. Most of the differences are limited to more fluent body movements of the lady; she appears to be at peace with herself, even if the self-acceptance implies a kind of weariness or apathy.
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