13 Feb 2018

Between the Lines

Albany Center Gallery

Reviewed by Ashley Norwood Cooper

This elegant and austere show strips art to its most basic element.

Random chance and irregularities of the hand create intriguing illusions in ink drawings by Dana Piazza. Compulsive markmaking becomes art as unity gives way to variety. Is art a by-product of human imperfection? Or is it born when our imperfections resist our relentless efforts to overcome?

In Commingling (2015) by Rhea Nowak, line is primal. Photo intaglio prints of petroglyphs from Utah float above images of hedgerows in rural New York. They are joined by the artist's own stitched, perforated, and drawn lines. Are these constellations? And what lies beyond the stars? Her gestures tether us to earth, then reach upward toward the unknown.

The impulse to draw lines is as integral to our understanding of ourselves and our environment as to our ability to imagine new selves and worlds. Lines map and explore known spaces. Then they transcend, propelling us forward.