11 Apr 2018

Mike Solomon: Native Shore

Alfstad& Contemporary

Reviewed by Nathan Skiles

A mirage's treachery only fools a novice's eye. The trained eye sees through the illusion, basks in its intricacies, takes pleasure in its hidden depths. Here we find Mike Solomon, a sun- and surf-weathered guru so attuned to his surroundings that the most minute drop in temperature or shift in value is recognized for its profound subtlety.

"Native Shore" at Alfstad& Contemporary invites viewers to look to the horizon, relax, and acclimate the eye to the rich experience of sight. The exhibition's five large-scale paintings of horizontal bands of infinitesimal variations of pastel colors on frosted polyester film presents the opportunity to slow down and discover tranquility through trained perception.

Solomon's layered approach to painting allows for a subtle overlapping of hue and value. Oscillating between a mantra-induced trance and the slick surface of 1960's Finish Fetish, the work evokes the timeless rhythms of the ocean and the immediate cool of a freshly glassed surfboard.