Scene Magazine
Published March 14, 2007
Apart: From Europa to Paradise Lost
March 9th - March 31st 2007
Exit (a gallery space)
2688 W.14th St. Cleveland Oh, 44113
330-321-8161
Apart: From Europa to Paradise Lost
The volatile passion for which Eastern Europe is famous is fully evident in these six large paintings by Clevelander Andrzej Siwkiewicz, a native of Poland. Pretty representation is the last thing on Siwkiewicz's mind as he surrenders to process-as-art mentality and attempts to encapsulate dark, inchoate feelings of alienation, misunderstanding, and life's ultimate futility. Alas, the attempts don't always succeed, despite their sometimes bold visceral appeal. Each painting belongs to one of three recent series: Europa, Separations, or Paradise Lost. To call the differences among the works subtle is an understatement. Essentially, they're all about loneliness, specifically that of someone lost in the gap between two cultures. It's easy to imagine a dramatic scenario behind Europa's "Escape From the Market at Noon," the show's most vigorously painted image: Suddenly inspired by some deep-seated passion, the artist dashes home and releases the floodgates of his subconscious onto canvas. What results is an explosion of whitish flames over ribbons of red the color of meat. Perhaps it's no surprise to detect a pink, vaginal oval in this heated mix. It's not all pure abstraction. Pale, skeleton-like figures cross a white, slatted pathway in "Bridge of Suspend," of the Paradise Lost series. But Siwkiewicz reduces everything to two dimensions. Thus the limp, faceless creatures appear pinned to the painting's red background. What they're doing is more like dangling than crossing. The frustration message is clear. Problem is, that's where the communication ends. Through March 31 at Exit: a Gallery Space, 2688 West 14th St., 330-321-8161, www.exitgallery.com. -- Lewis