09 Nov 2018

Susan Vecsey

Berry Campbell

Reviewed by Maria-Lisa Farmakidis

The appearance of effortless beauty is not easy to produce. But this is the aspiration of Susan Vecsey's current show at Berry Campbell, an exhibition of twenty recent paintings, including her largest to date.

The artist has been working on this series of abstractions from nature for over a decade. She pours one layer at a time over a textured Belgian linen, creating subtle variations on the surface. Every next pour is a new layer of calculated risk.

Untitled (Blue/Gold) (all are 2018) is a six-foot square, most of which is a light gray. Across the lower edge, bands of vibrant gold, blue, and blue-black create a wide expanse that envelops the viewer.

The dark blues and deep reds in Untitled (Nocturne) are a new experiment. That composition and Untitled (Nocturne II) extend her range as a colorist, with wide spaces that shimmer with iridescence.

Vecsey's paintings are entirely concerned with color, light, and surface. They require looking at up close, in person.