Lynda Schlosberg, Tuning In, acrylic on panel, 40 x 30 inches, 2019
The Kingston Gallery continues to deliver some of the most thought-provoking and vibrant exhibitions that our community has to offer. Nestled among its peers in SOWA, the gallery provides a forum for artists pushing conversations about both form and perception. Lynda Schlosberg’s Frequency Tuning transforms how the viewer perceives space in both physical and metaphysical contexts. Inspired by the natural world and quantum mechanics, the works are reflections on the form vs. the formless and the energies that contribute to both. Using captivating color palettes and dizzying layers, the works exhibit an otherworldly quality. What reminds the viewer of the microscopic intersects with the celestial; topographic maps make way for alien organisms. The abstract works are breathtaking in both scale and detail. As you take in the energy of a dramatic palette, the detail in the hundreds of thousands of individual marks can take your breath away.
Upon entering the gallery, the strokes of color are immediately felt. Not Here, Not There serves as your introduction. This piece has a striking purple color profile, artfully blending blues, indigos, and whites in a way that not only unmoored me but also gave me the chills. The use of acrylics with such a strong layering technique invited me to get lost in works. By dissolving traditional background and foreground dynamics, you are left at the mercy of the overall energy of the piece, of the different overlays and values at play. This piece served as a litmus test, to prepare you, as the concept was further explored and expanded (literally) throughout the Main Gallery.
Lynda Schlosberg, Remembering the Future, acrylic on panel, 48 x 108 inches, (triptych), 2018
The piece that stayed with me the most was Remembering the Future. This triptych combines three canvasses to showcase all the techniques present, while also having the strongest composition. Whether you see a DNA Helix or the crashing of the ocean’s surf in this work, there is no denying it draws you in; the gravity of its energy pulls you toward it. One part map of the universe, another part energy convergence, it is hard not to be in awe of the colossal piece.
Schlosberg’s explorations are described in her artist statement as: “an invisible field of conscioussness and energy that permeates and connects all things. This perceptual field is a complex system of interdependent interactions whose outcomes can change with the introduction of a single thought.” This field is closely felt in the work; waves of emotion are felt as one wanders from each canvas. The elements are unstructured forms that are below and above layers of dividing lines. These divisions are lost to themes of color and shape. Convergent and divergent all at the same time, the distinctions are muddled by the number of layers of paint and striking use of color. The title Frequency Tuning felt incredibly apt, as the art effectively rewired me as both an art lover and creator. This has as much to do with the ambition of the work, as well as the overall feeling of anything being creatively possible. The Frequency Tuning exhibition feels like a few things to me: the feeling of your favorite guitarist about to go into the solo; when you meet someone that you connect with so profoundly that conversation becomes automatic, and you struggle to keep up with all the things that you want to share with that person; the moment when you walk into a room of people working heads down towards a common goal that renders any greeting or words completely unnecessary; how you feel when you truly find your people, your crew, that chosen community of like-minded folks that push and encourage you to new heights. Lynda Schlosberg’s work not only captures those feelings but implores you to revel in it and to reexamine the forces that have made you feel that.
Kind reader, I implore you to close your eyes, take a deep breath and think of the last time you felt that strongly about anything. If you have any trouble, make your way to Frequency Tuning and gaze upon Remembering the Future until it all comes rushing back.
Lynda Schlosberg: Frequency Tuning will be on view at Kingston Gallery through June 2nd. More information on the exhibition and the artist can be found here.
Excellent writing and so personal and perceptive. The work is great, but it’s always equally great when a reviewer really “gets” the artist and the work.
What a wonderful review. I loved how it painted the layered complexities of Lynda’s work. It is encouraging to come across a reviewer who really understands what the artist is trying to convey.
What a beautiful and thoughtful review of Lynda’s powerful body of work. Thanks for encouraging others to see and emerge themselves in it, as one must truly experience it live to ‘get it’ (as the writer obviously did!)
Wonderful insight into these works. The review reflects a careful viewing and love the encouragement for others to get in to see the show! Thank you.