Davis asked viewers to pick a color and focus on that one stripe until their perceptions were altered, becoming one with the canvas. Like an organized stream of rhythmic consciousness. In his reductionist stripe work, Davis approached the canvas much like Barbara: painting by ear, so to speak. “I paint by eye as a jazz musician plays by ear,” he said. Davis envisioned the interaction between colors to be much like orchestration and jazz syncopation: color is the development, the stripes interplay like chords, the size and spacing of the stripes are the rhythm and beats. Native Washingtonian Color School member Gene Davis, famous for his striped canvas paintings, was also influenced by music, especially jazz. She used the colors of the Ukrainian flag to map out the tension of the impending invasions. Karen recently discovered that her roots were Ukrainian, not Russian. “Jazz is the art of thinking out loud.” Lviv, Ukraine, My Maternal Grandfather’s Homeland, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40” by Karen Schmitz. “He continues to influence me on the process of freedom, creativity, having a unique voice,” she says. She credits the extraordinary piano jazz musician Matthew Shipp as her muse, shaping the eloquent brushwork, expressing indefatigable vibrancy in her use of color and execution of movement. Many of her titles are named for music she listened to as she painted in her Falls Church studio. Photo Barbara Januszkiewicz.Īs much as Barbara’s work is evocative of Morris Louis’s famous translucent layered drip paintings called veils and florals, she is equally driven by music. “Januszkiewicz’s pictures can resemble Morris Louis’s florals, yet her style is hotter, with a hint of the abstract expressionism the Color School abandoned” ~ Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post Genius, After Hours, acrylic on canvas by Barbara Januszkiewicz, among the transformative works by the acclaimed Arlington artist on exhibit at the Del Ray Artisans Gallery ~ celebrating 30 years in Alexandria. But Paul Reed taught Barbara that “there are no mistakes in art- only opportunities to be more creative.” The art on display in the exhibit conveys this mantra. Reed’s minimal geometric abstractions appear rigidly disciplined, flat, and defined, juxtaposed with Barbara’s sensuous, luminous expressions. She had a special relationship with her mentor Paul, who died in 2015. (Photo Kelly MacConomy)īarbara studied with Paul Reed and Hilda Thorpe. Barbara Januszkiewicz’s 2019 Lyrical Flight exhibit at the Athenaeum in Old Town explored her rhapsodic paintings via massive mural-sized unprimed canvas, paper, wood, and free-floating installation.
Although Sam Gilliam would argue that he’s too young to be counted among these giants of DC abstract expressionists. Leon Berkowitz, Sam Gilliam (splatters and splash), Jacob Kainen, Alma Thomas, Hilda Thorpe, and Anne Truitt are painters subscribing to the Second Generation. Thomas Downing, Howard Mehring, Kenneth Noland, and Paul Reed were among the First Generation of Color School painters. Morris Louis (drips) and Gene Davis (lines) are perhaps the Washington Color School’s best-known painters. The work submitted is as diverse as the aesthetics of the Color School itself. While the Washington Color School theme was the impetus, exploring bold compositions, patterns, and colors in expressing objection to the schooled traditions of the art establishment, the creativity went beyond the expected.
Artists in the May show certainly stepped up to the plate. (Photo Metro Stage)īarbara advocates taking a risk in creating art. Barbara Januszkiewicz’s musically-inspired paintings will be displayed at the new MetroStage, an anchor for the expanding Old Town North’s Arts District. Seventy-nine artists from around the DMV are exhibiting over 160 pieces in all media, including textile, ceramics, photography, furniture, and even conceptual installation. The call for entry asked that applicants submit abstract and representational work that demonstrated remarkable use of color, line, movement, and sense of space. The May show takes art back to school, channeling the renowned Washington Color School and Color Field movements that dominated the DC art scene from the 1950s until the 1970s. So far this year, we have seen progressive art, revisiting the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century with “Dada 2.0” and going green for April Earth Day month with “Second Life,” showcasing art consisting of at least 50 percent upcycled and repurposed materials. This year, Del Ray Artisans, the little gallery that can on Mount Vernon Avenue, celebrates 30 years of art advocacy, education, and outreach in the neighborhood and Alexandria community at large. Support Good News Journalism, Subscribe >
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