Uwe Kowski at the Gorney Bravin + Lee Gallery, 534 West 26th Street to February 12th
These paintings are decidedly abstract but paradoxically suggest references to congested cityscapes or the tangled anarchy of a garden. As such they resent the teasing edge of a narrative that remains just barely out of knowing leaving a tickling yearning. Kowski further utilizes an ingenious mix of color and line to present another paradox in which these complex paintings nevertheless retain a refreshing �unfinished� quality. Clearly this is an artist in love with a painterly sensibility and the multitudinous possibilities within the realm of abstract painting.
Uwe Kowski, Gorney Bravin + Lee Gallery
The underlying theme for this work is the beautiful orchestration the color provides; that and the rhythmic quality of motion that is set loose. While a strong sense of style is present, Kowski imbues
each piece with its own sense of being. Each painting expresses a unique persona while remaining within the �family� of the work at large. Notice how the paintings vary in theme, here taking on large blocks of reds bumping into blues, there settled back deeply, enveloped and overwhelm by an �idea� of white. The latter is an �idea� because the thematic white is constructed of several muted colors. This gets to the content of the artist�s work; that combinations of paint and color rise well beyond their definitions to create something far greater and of a more complex nature. The magic is keeping it fluid and fresh; the look of effortless effort. In this Uwe Kowski more than succeeds in these forthrightly beautiful paintings. If this is his first solo show in the U.S. let us hope it won�t be his only one.
