In following Martin-Nuss’ work for a few years now, I was always mesmerized by the way they could establish and build a living landscape using both physical spaces and water reflections. A living landscape by means of movement, layers, and currents. This exhibition shows works that each establish their own space and carry with them their own evolutions into an entirely new space the longer you look at them.
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The front room, carrying mainly framed drawings, shows a looseness that will later build into more expansive landscapes. A playfulness of space and material. Here, the layers seem more present between mediums, and the shapes appear more collected and carry with them a bold color. Whether it be a stark cadmium red or a dreamy purple in the foreground or background, like in Mere Appearance, the pastel strokes that will become a main layer within the paintings later on seem to emerge around the colors and build up from there. The background becomes an atmospheric foundation to which all the other layers of the work cycle back and forth.
I was very grateful for the opportunity to have the entire gallery to myself. I was able to experience each work for a good amount of time, slowing down to experience the details and the feelings that Martin- Nuss creates within these environments. The canvases carry with them a deep space, and with closer introspection, you can experience each layer as if Martin-Nuss was right next to us creating the piece. Starting with luminous layers of oils all the way to various strokes of pastel, Martin-Nuss intuitively combines both drawing and painting into a bit of orchestration. Martin-Nuss also creates music and sound pieces, some of which were presented at the opening, this furthers the mental image that these spaces are in constant flux. Inhaling and exhaling and growing with every stroke placed onto the canvas.
Each piece carries with it a synergy of gestures. This allows you as a viewer to step into these spaces and experience them surrounding you, the energy waves of the artist’s rhythm and mark-making, bouncing around you to some unknown music. The work seems to vibrate with either a slow, methodical energy or a frenetic, excited one. Sensation of Holding is one of those pieces that carries a steady, calm flow. The surface of the water, highlighted with white and yellow glimmers, appears to dissolve into the top of the canvas. The grass and the water become one, and the physical environment begins to meld into the reflection.
The idea of currents is also illustrated very well through the diptych on the back wall titled The Closer We Come Together. This presentation of a space within two canvases was intriguing. Each piece could stand on its own, but as a diptych, the constant flux between both plays off very well. Martin-Nuss uses the push and pull of the background and foreground to build a space that you can both enter and become enclosed into. This became even more apparent once you approached the canvases from various angles and under both the gallery light and the natural skylights. Each piece in the back room settled into the space well, and the natural skylight also enhanced my experience of the works serendipitously.
Getting to see the show on a bright, sunny afternoon allowed me an interesting experience with Sensation of Slipping. The reflection from the skylight above illuminated part of the canvas and left a small part in shadow. The radiating light waves reflected onto the wall also fit well alongside the pastel strokes and directional lines in the background. Seeing this influenced me to look at each piece from multiple angles, and each time I approached a canvas, I saw something entirely new: a new color interaction, a new layer hidden underneath. This exhibition is definitely one to see for an extended period of time. Each piece is a full experience, and one that you can fully immerse yourself in. With this show, Martin-Nuss takes us into an exploration of currents, boundaries, and a constant flux of change to show us works that constantly evolve and grow themselves.
All Photos Courtesy of Rachel Uffner Gallery @racheluffnergallery
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Sarah Martin- Nuss: Future Currents- At Rachel Uffner Gallery
The show runs through April 26th
170 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002
About the Writer: Taylor Bielecki lives in Gowanus, where her studio is, and works at Pratt Institute, where she earned her MFA, she also studied at Penn State, where she earned a BA in English and a BFA in Fine Arts. She finished as a finalist in the Kennedy Center’s VSA National Emerging Young Artist program for 2017; where she earned an award of Excellence. She has shown prints internationally in a print exchange in Australia and exhibitions in Dubai, India and the Glasgow School of Art. She has also shown paintings internationally in Gallery 24N, PhilaMOCA’s juried exhibitions in Philadelphia, Pa., Perry Lawson Fine Art in Nyack, NY, BWAC in Red Hook, and Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn. Taylor has joined Art Spiel as a contributing writer. @taylor.bielecki