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player ready...Robert Natkin has painted and printed in an Abstract Expressionist style for decades, building compositions whose delicate-looking textures in luscious pastels reflect his interest in fabrics.
These “veils of diaphanous color,” as Chicago gallery owner Tom McCormick refers to them, have often proved more decorative than substantial. But in Natkin’s show at McCormick, the 16 small acrylic on canvas paintings in the main exhibition space add a strong new direction to his body of work.
Asked to participate in a show in which 15 artists would interpret the New Testament story of the Stations of the Cross and which would be exhibited in churches and cathedrals throughout England in the year 2,000, Natkin, who is Jewish, incorporates his trademark atmospheric veils. But he transcends this concept with art that seamlessly blends a sense of landscape, narrative and abstractions.
Natkin has added two new stations to this story. Each painting measures 12 by 12 inches and includes a cross that is changed in shape to depict the retelling of Christ’s journey to crucifixion. Each painting also features a Jewish star. The painting before the traditional beginning is titled “Apotheosis of Judaism” and emblazons the Hebrew word, “Shema,” against a large Star of David because it is the first word of the most important Judaic prayer, Natkin explains. The star also includes a tiny cross. The star brings to mind the patches worn by Jews during the Holocaust; the cross symbolizes the conception of Christ and Christianity to come. Natkin’s other new station lies at the end and is titled “The Resurrection.” It features an oversized cross, with a tiny star attached ever so slightly to another cross.
What is important artistically about these works is that Natkin’s icons of the cross and star take on a rhythm and personality that move us from station to station or canvas to canvas.
When the cross falls to the ground and only a skinny crosslike form remains in the work, “Jesus is stripped of his garments,” we envision Jesus almost naked. The mood becomes much more foreboding as Natkin turns the palette of his background to brooding dark hues. A shroudlike black form in the distance suggests utter despair. But in the works that follow a light-filled white aura returns, as does hope of redemption for mankind. The show continues at 2055 N. Winchester Ave. through Feb. 28.
The title of the show at the Jan Cicero gallery, “The Immovable Object,” is a clever play on the subject matter of the show — still lifes — for the supposedly still groupings, which have been among the oldest and most popular themes in art, can be quite portable and easily arranged. This is a large show, occupying both levels of the gallery and consisting of 21 works in a variety of media from 12 artists. While the idea of showcasing a variety of still lifes is admirable, many of the examples depend too heavily on reinterpreting other artists and are overly decorative with their appealing but saccharine bouquets and fruits.
Nevertheless, a handful attempt to be original.
Barbara Blades’ “Autobiography” consists of six very small acrylics on panels, each with a different simple object such as eggs or spools. Her objects loom large and are painted sparingly within their tiny frames for a powerful effect. Frank Trankina takes a different route. In “Huddle,” he brings together everyday, familiar objects, such as a cheese grater and playful puppets, but places them in a wide-open landscape that is totally unfamiliar and rather eerie. The show continues at 221 W. Erie St. until Feb. 7.