Tim McFarlane highlighted in Artblog review
Five Decades of Abstraction in a revelatory exhibit at Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg
By Dereck Stafford Mangus
November 30, 2023
Artblog contributor Dereck Mangus, who is based in Baltimore, visits the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg and finds excellence in a wide-ranging exhibit of modern and contemporary abstract art. The SAM is hosting an artist talk on Friday, Dec. 1, at 5:30pm, with local artist Tim McFarlane and other artists in the exhibit. Check out Dereck’s review and catch a train to Harrisburg for the talk and to see the exhibit! The exhibit is up through Jan. 21, 2024. Details and links in the post. Enjoy!
You might not expect an intergenerational group exhibition of bluechip abstract artists representing solid work in a wide range of media to be found in Harrisburg, PA. But you would be wrong. Any such assumption is instantly dispelled upon entering the Susquehanna Art Museum in downtown Harrisburg, where you’ll find Shifting Forms: 5 Decades of Abstraction, a fresh perspective on the enduring tradition of non-objective art—one more intimate and less bombastic than what you might associate with the genre.
Two more different abstract pieces could not be found paired together than “Parrot Jungle” (1981) by Helen Frankenthaler and “Ten Blocks West” (2005) by Chakaia Booker, two works that demonstrate the breadth of abstract art both in terms of form and materials. Frankenthaler’s painting, which is familiar but not exactly typical of the late abstract expressionist, consists of thick daubs of colorful acrylic paint applied by the artist in select areas over washes of green and blue that suggest an oblique view of a landscape. “Parrot Jungle” hints at Frankenthaler’s earlier career, but this more mature composition feels fresher, more free, and somehow softer than her earlier work. In fact, the show as a whole feels softer, more understated than the usual brash machismo often associated with abstract art.
Read the full article here.