| Cosmos and Chaos: "Divisions" at the Reed Gallery |
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| Written by Margaret and Shane Smith (No Relation) | |
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One hundred and twenty
degrees: Nature's favorite angle.
Naturally-occurring wonders such as the honeycomb, crystals and auspicious planetary degrees all fall under the hexagonal design. All of the pieces in the exhibit of Fred Lynch's show, Divisions, in the Reed Gallery, share a common trait: All of the pieces are based upon the same 120-degree angle, repeated over and over in different directions and depths, colors and styles. The process he has created pulls you in; the shapes we recognize are transformed into layers of accessible planes. There are some pieces with the corners painted over; as a kid, Lynch remembers looking through old photo albums, the type where pictures are attached to the page with corner tabs. This is why he used the artist's trick of closed composition: The body of the work remains within the parameters of the canvas's edge. Thus, he says, his pieces become less of a "wandering universe" and more of an "expanding object." This idea was reinforced by a professor of his once telling him to "try to put a limit on infinity." He remembers seeing the furrows that a mole had made in a fresh fallen snow. "There were three furrows and they were all at almost a perfect 120-degree angle to one another," Lynch recalled at his show's opening on Jan. 17. He began to see this 120-degree phenomenon on a daily basis and began to explore it in his work. He's been creating under this theme for almost five years, working always by hand. For him this creates a sense of "waywardness progress" and "accidental geometry." The pieces are meant to be suggestive, metaphorical, as opposed to expressing specific ideas. The paintings are certainly more about the painting itself, rather than a particular subject matter. His meditative process allows him to build on an idea day by day, incorporating the notion of what he calls, "Something from something...Variations on a theme. Divide, divide, d did the day before would build up. That's why I titled it Divisions." Lynch's craftsmanship has established him as one of Maine's most prestigious artists. However, there's always a sense of "happening" that is not ultra-controlled, despite Lynch's meticulous technique. We understand that he is not giving us answers; he is asking us questions. No two shapes are alike on any one canvas and as some forms drop away, the viewer is able to pluck an object now seemingly resting on the surface. It's like an ever-morphing optical illusion within a still frame. As Lynch says, one gets a sense of "profusion, no limit"-- great quantity; lavish display or supply. Counsel on what to look for as you enter the gallery to peruse the pieces? Take the advice of Professor Leo Paul Cyr: "Understand the play behind images. Let the process pull you in. There is always something to discover...the works are very accessible...very restful, not imposing. [Lynch] allows you to look at the image and take what you want. The image vibrates to your own sense." Word. What he said. Go see it, love it, experience it. |
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