amorphous imagery which anticipates the later work to come. Overall this exhibition was well presented by including a fine array of varied work where each painting was given its fair share of space.

Tracey Jones at The Painting Center

So, is this a show of abstract art? These are, after all, photographs of clearly recognizable objects most of which feature close ups of clothed torsos and bare hands.  But what leaves the notion of figuration ambiguous is how Nougarede addresses composition.  The picture plane is sliced up with a particular emphasis on texture and pattern as expressed by the fabric. Naturally this also includes a wide range of color combinations. At times a bit of landscape is included. In some pieces human hands appear but just as another formal element.  But rarely do you see a person�s face.  All of this leaves the

Magali Nougarede at Rosenberg + Kaufman

Previous Page

work toward a subjective interpretation and so also toward an abstract reading.  The close up view and absence of narrative are what keep the

Magali Nougarede at Rosenberg + Kaufman

content of these pictures open.  Given how they are composed another interesting aspect is the way the imagery projects a certain commercial quality.  In other words, you might easily imagine these pieces as clothing ads from which the text has been removed.  From such a perspective they possess a feeling of imagery liberated. Perhaps the final word, and yet still another perspective, is

Magali Nougarede (detail) at Rosenberg + Kaufman

Next Page