DAISY AMES

The Yale British Art Center is featuring a retrospective on British artist Rebecca Salter, called “into the light of things.” She is an artist who combines multiple mediums to create an abstraction of depth and light. Having studied art in Japan, her work speaks to the minimal and highly detailed aesthetic that often comes with exposure and appreciation of Japanese culture. What I particularly like about her paintings is that they have a subtle hint of being natural surfaces. For instance, vertical ivory lines faintly applied over a white canvas interestingly resemble the grain of wood. Another piece I enjoyed was charcoal veneer of paint which appeared homogenous when you get very close, but when you step back, it looked like cold slate, or the wet skin of a whale with with extremely slight areas of reflection. (see example below)

Untitled R72 - 1999

Another component of her work are canvases which have been cut into tiny 1” x 1” squares, meticulously reassembled onto another canvas so that you can hardly see a seam. Each square is unique, and has a perfectly loose composition, which makes them seem haphazardly arranged next to one another. However, when you back up, you can interpret an underlying directionality to the mosaic, which I read as I highly calculated assembly of these squares. (see example below)

Untitled J23 - 1995

Her work can be understood simply as pure, calm and monochrome, but it beckons the viewer to spend time and notice intricacies and differences within each composition. This often reveals a grain or movement within the work, which I enjoyed finding. It made me do what I love doing: ask why… and then discover other things along the way. If you are ever in New Haven, I suggest taking a trip over to the BAC and checking it out… open through May 1, 2011.