CECILIA ANDRE at PLAXALL GALLERY – thru 3/3/19 – 5-25 46ave LIC,NY
Reviewed by Lucille Colin
There is breathing space between the works of Brazilian Artist Cecilia Andre at Plaxall Gallery in Long Island City. The space is important allowing us to see each work as an individual piece with it’s own uncluttered identity. Each piece is like a chapter in a book about which we are asked to look closely and examine an assortment of ideas.
In a troubled world it is somewhat of a relief to see work that is cheerful and tender. Although colorful, vibrant, cheerful and tender there is something lurking beneath the surface that is audacious and political. There are indirect and direct references to words and countries of conflict, the Congo, Nicaragua, Eygpt and the US.
Using mostly discarded materials, shower curtains, table clothes, lace, bags from cocoa beans, sequins, Cecilia uses this discarded material not only in an environmental way but to relate back to these countries The material can be both carefully cut or ripped apart. The cut edges are like the outlines of a drawing as are the string and the sequins. The loose string and cut vinyl are set as line drawn by the Artist.
The edges of color in “Plorange” are darting out of the frame making their own frame, it is cut like a razor. The simplicity of the inside of this piece calms us, a necessary comfort. Most of the color in the works is not made with paint, it is made by Andre’s coordination of materials and it works beautifully.
There is one Sculpture in the show, “Horn”, it is like a part of a mathematical three dimensional grid. It is an attractive piece, a puzzle we are made to look inside or see what would happen if it were mounted on the wall, either way we get the feeling of harmful overtones. “Fine” represents her Banners – Nothing is overdone, one line of bold stitches, large spans of color with light coming through, an idea of hope, that Cecilia has delicately choreographed, a successful antithesis. Seeing Flags or Banners can make one cringe but Andre’s Banners represent harmony, they are childlike masterpieces.
Lucille Colin is a Painter living in NYC lucile.colin@gmail.com She majored in Visual Art and minored in Mathematics She was accepted to MFA program
