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John Sanchez at Dorsch
Post #752 • March 14, 2006, 8:00 AM • 21 Comments
Aside from the enormous pleasure of seeing a former student have his first solo exhibition, Sanchez is additionally working with admirable gusto and making some fine paintings based on urban scenes. He plays up the photographic origins of the paintings, emphasizing flares, blurs, and frozen scenes of time. He handles paint with such charm that these photographic conventions take on great warmth, and become the basis for abstractions. Sanchez has done a lot of hard thinking about figurative painting in the age of photography, and his solution, to admit the photograph into the work and then transform it with a serious, sophisticated approach to paint handling, seems like a fruitful one.
John Sanchez: 1729, 2006, 58 x 70 inches, oil on canvas
John Sanchez: Leaving, 2006, 16.5 x 16.5 inches, acrylic on canvas
2.
March 14, 2006, 11:09 AM
The show is worth seeing. He's getting better, more assured and more imaginative. Everything didn't work equally well, but several pieces were quite nice, and this was so in different formats, from very small to fairly large. The lower one shown above was one of my favorites.
A couple of pieces that didn't make it into the show, which I saw in his studio, were also good. In those studio pieces in particular, but also in others (to varying degrees), I sense a vague "surrealist" element or atmosphere somewhat reminiscent of De Chirico, even though the handling is obviously more painterly and the style less fussy.
He can go from pretty realistic to nearly abstract, but he tends to be more successful when the realism is not too tight yet not too blurry or hazy--in other words, firm but fluid. The large piece shown on top above, which is somewhat flattered by the reproduction, suffered to my eye from a runny or smeared watery look, as well as overly synthetic or "unnatural" coloring, too much like a garish neon sign. The one below, however, though more abstract, has more body and substance, much more interesting coloring, and more imaginative handling.
I'd been looking forward to this show, and it did not disappoint.
3.
March 14, 2006, 11:17 AM
P.S. You can see an image of a third painting in the show by clicking on the "solo exhibition" link above. It's one I also liked.
4.
March 14, 2006, 12:18 PM
I agree with Jack, the lower painting sure is prettier than the top one. Are all the paintings of mass transit vehicles?
5.
March 14, 2006, 12:23 PM
ah... "Take Off" i guess should be a pretty good indication of the subject matter. Pretty swift Craig. Sorry everyone.
6.
March 14, 2006, 12:54 PM
Johns paintings look like a good start to me as well, in particular i find the blurred boundary with abstraction interesting.
I might add to OP'c comment I am not aware that anyone is painting deliberately using the visual peculiarities of photographs as subject matter in a straightforward painterly way like this that there are. Two other artists which come to mind are, Tom McGrath's paintings, in particular the works from a year or two ago, and Marc Tanguy a painter working in France. I don't think it matters.
7.
March 14, 2006, 1:06 PM
I'm going to see the show this week. Old Pro would you like a ride.
8.
March 14, 2006, 1:32 PM
Thanks for the comments...
The Gallery will be open normal hours (Thursday, Friday and Saturday 1-5pm) and also open this Saturday Night - since there are also openings at Locust Projects and Snitzer.
Brook
9.
March 14, 2006, 2:08 PM
Marc Tanguy
Tom McGrath
Veerakeat Tongpaiboon (at Thomas Reynolds Gallery)
10.
March 14, 2006, 2:41 PM
Thanks for the links, Art. Interesting pix.
No, it doesn;t matter, George, not in terms of being "original" anyway. I was just wondering if anyone else was doing it. I like the idea of the method.
11.
March 14, 2006, 3:34 PM
Yeh, I just said that because I was only remarking on your comment and I didn't want JS to take as directed at him. sorry if I was unclear
12.
March 14, 2006, 5:23 PM
Actually, there are lots of artists "deliberately using the visual peculiarities of photographs as subject matter in a straightforward painterly way like this." Art Linksgetter easily finds three, and if Veerakeat Tongpaiboon qualifies then a very obvious person to include is Joy Garnett; for example, paintings in the Strange Weather series. Also, Marilyn Minter. Troll enough gallery websites and you'll find more; how about Jonathan Podwil? Without much effort one eventually finds oneself talking about Luc Tuymans, but he already get plenty enough air time already.
13.
March 14, 2006, 6:27 PM
Thanks Chris. Interesting stuff, especially the "strange weather" pix, which are eerie.
14.
March 14, 2006, 8:34 PM
Dept of Credit Where Due: George and Crionna found 'em, I just linked 'em for your browsing pleasure. See the other artists at the Thomas Reynolds link above for more in the genre.
15.
March 14, 2006, 10:15 PM
Thanks everyone, but I would ultimately keep comparing myself to www.recordedeyesight.blogspot.com. ahem! shameless plug!!! Thanks again
16.
March 14, 2006, 10:35 PM
Go here for an image of a John Sanchez painting that illustrates what I said above about a vague surrealist feel reminiscent of De Chirico:
link
Of course I'm not implying this is in any way intentional or even conscious, but I find it interesting.
17.
March 14, 2006, 11:48 PM
Hey John, your paintings have a really nice light to them.
18.
March 15, 2006, 1:49 PM
Franklin, I'm curious about your choice of pics. These two seem to be the most colourful and abstract of the bunch - less contour lines etc.
19.
March 15, 2006, 2:01 PM
Jordan: Franklin asked me for the larger one on top.
The smaller one was one of my personnel favorites.
I will send Franklin more tonight if he wants to post them.
Looking at the show the for the past couple of days I am now favoring "Turbine" and "Precipitation" more now. They have really grown on me.
Brook
20.
March 19, 2006, 10:05 AM
I went to Wynwood last night for the Snitzer and Locust openings (I know; I'm too weak) and stopped by Dorsch. I was pleased to see that half the pieces in the John Sanchez show had sold, and Brook told me another painting ( a big one) was being considered. Nice.
21.
March 20, 2006, 10:33 AM
Had the good fortune of seeing John's show this weekend. He is a good one to keep our eyes on. His paintings have a lot more "bite" now. Previously I sensed a timidness that he seems to have over come. Well done, and congrats.
1.
oldpro
March 14, 2006, 10:02 AM
I want to see this show. he has some developing still to do but the pix look very good and the direction seems very interesting and fruitful.
I know thare are a zillion people doing stuff with photographs, but I am not aware that anyone is painting deliberately using the visual peculiarities of photographs as subject matter in a straightforward painterly way like this. It seems obvious, but in retrospect all originality does.