Wide Load

Posted on March 28, 2021 by JMN
In “Black City” (2007), Mehretu interrogates cities and stadiums, their undercurrent of chaos and violence. But her paintings are abstract, first and always. Their force and furor derive from uncountable inputs. Credit… Julie Mehretu and Pinault Collection.

Jason Farrago lavishes a container shipload of exegetical rumination on Julie Mehretu’s paintings.

Lines accreted in an essentially radial configuration, with large arcs orbiting an absent central axis, and orthogonal spokes sprouting from the core.

Invisible Sun (algorithm 7, spell form),” 2015. The artist grew confident enough to let the architecture disappear. Calligraphic black lines muster into raven-like migrations. Credit… Julie Mehretu.

(The Mehretu black line is a thing of wonder, as confident and unmistakable as Schiele’s trembling contours.) It’s as if she discovered, after years translating cities and buildings into abstract form, that whole urban systems were already embedded inside her strokes.

(Jason Farrago, “Julie Mehretu’s Long Journey Home,” NYTimes, 3-25-21)

Less talkin’, more gawkin’, sez me.

(c) 2021 JMN

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About JMN

I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.
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7 Responses to Wide Load

  1. Carol-Lois Haywood's avatar Dr. Carol-Lois Haywood says:
    March 28, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    Crazy about these artworks. Hope you don’t mind if I share them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. Pingback: Wide Load — EthicalDative: SHARED POST | Silicon Valley Types

  3. Carol-Lois Haywood's avatar Dr. Carol-Lois Haywood says:
    March 28, 2021 at 7:09 pm

    My enthusiasm outweighed my skills–in trying to share these two artworks that just carried me away! I am sorry if I goofed it up. But thanks for making my day with your post!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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