Michael Davis Gutierrez

I remember studying Alberto Giacometti a while back:

"In the sparseness of his environment, relationship became everything. The human became an icon almost. I had never witnessed this extreme a motivation to understand the world through art. To communicate essence.

Anyway, I learned from him that struggle was OK. He always began working with the knowledge that what he attempted was impossible, and then he would go ahead and attempt it anyway. Whatever a particular challenge entailed for me, I found that eventually I would get to the end of it. Maybe it’s even worth the struggle to get that final resolution, that satisfaction, when everything becomes focused and congruent and finished. Thankfully, Alberto gave me that drive to achieve a compelling image in each painting."

                                                                    from:   A Safe Place

                                                                                                       by MM Kent

 

Double Negative by Michael Davis Gutierrez

 I like to think Michael is carrying on with work that Giacometti started. The interface between human and the world. That is the subject, isn't it? Relationship.


What is our point of view? The chair? We are definitely on the ground, but what distance between us and the object of our observation? How much negative space?
These and other questions arise. We at the Underground are very fortunate to have Michael join us. The level of artistic inquiry  has been raised. Cultural symbols abound.

We had an excellent inauguration of Spring on First Thursday April. Almost a capacity crowd for a great show. The retrospective for Myrtle Laabs is a nice surprise consisting of beautiful minimalist watercolors which were lovingly curated by Kathleen Barta, Myrtle's long time painting partner.

New work by Martha Molina, a mask entitled Yggdrasil (Norwegian Tree of Life), slightly surprised.

This by Sheila Richards, Serenity personified.