Alice Zinnes, Galleria Janet Kurnatowski

While there is a suggestion of 3 dimensional depth these paintings more directly rely on an atmospheric perspective to reference deep spatial expanses.  As to figurative references, at least one painting somewhat ambiguously suggests a figure and a tree form to where you wonder if you might be seeing things. There is, in these paintings, a strong affinity to the work of Ying Li

Alice Zinnes, Galleria Janet Kurnatowski

who similarly riffs on landscape subject matter with a loose painterly style as was evident in her recent exhibition at the Painting Center (see the November 15th column in the Archives for my review).

Zinnes palette is primarily constructed of warm hues but rarely is it ever simple and direct.  Instead ‘clouds’ of color (literally painted like clouds) are established through a complex layering and construction of several agreeable tones.  Again as with Ying Li, the color is as much 

Alice Zinnes, Galleria Janet Kurnatowski

discovered as decisively added. Albeit from an abstract perspective, her dramatic use of light and dark patterning additionally holds much in common with the illuminating effects found in the art of J.M.T. Turner.  As a result these paintings, like Turner’s, are emotionally, even romantically, loaded.  But at the most fundamental level this work simply draws you in for its intimacy, beauty and delicious paint handling.

So what is Zinnes after in her art?  According to the artist the subject matter is explicitly derived from an ancient Indian epic-myth, The Ramayana. While this is interesting it is also not crucial to