Untitled, 2016, acrylic on paper
I've seen Forest Aliya's work quite a bit in the Art Studio Lab rooms, on the Sac State campus. She and I were also in an Advanced Painting class together so I'm relatively informed when it comes to her process. Most of the work exhibited at the Witt Gallery this week (2/27-3/03) are paintings from that class.
The R.W. Witt Gallery needs some serious renovations; this is not news to anyone. The gallery is student-run and as someone who has had a solo exhibition in the space, helped install friend's exhibits in the space, and seen MANY shows there, I'm more than familiar with the building and its funky ceiling and poorly attached walls. The lighting situation is also bad. The limited collection of lights in the Witt doesn't have a consistent temperature cast. They range from warm oranges to dull blues. My point is that Aliya has to fight an impossible battle when it comes to installing in that gallery. And her work is so colorful that the lighting does a terrible job of providing the vibrant hues any modicum of justice.
Untitled, 2016, acrylic on paper
Getting my frustrations out of the way, I enjoyed the exhibition. Some of the work is installed too high, but it's consistent in theme. Aptly titled Paths and Portals, the work is filled with imagery of... paths and portals. There are doorways and stairs that lead to other doorways and stairs. The work feels introspective to me; a self-analysis of the psyche. It feels like Aliya's asking herself a lot of questions and we are seeing a full map of her navigations to answers. There is no apparent sense of gravity and space is effectively rendered so that the three-dimensionality of Aliya's world is fully realized on a two-dimensional surface.
Photo by Brett Melliar
Aliya's work is heavily layered. Working on thick paper and with the medium of acrylics, she builds the atmosphere in conjunction with the paths and openings for us to examine. And knowing how she works, these pieces don't just happen on a first pass. Some of these paintings have been painted over and over to reach the state they're in. Paths and Portals isn't just an excellent display of Aliya's understanding of color. It's excellent proof of her work ethic, too.
I agree, the gallery space is just awful, but the work that inhabits it makes up for it!(At least in Aliya's case). I like your summary of the introspective nature of this work.
ReplyDeleteI like your critique on the gallery, you're quite right. I also like your analysis of Aliya's work. As I've watched her work as well in various painting classes, I've always enjoyed her use of color and layering in her paintings. Spot on.
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