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Beyond the imagery, these paintings have much in common with the abstractions of Motherwell, Kline and even Pollock to some extent.  Obviously this is related to the high contrasts of black and white but also to the forms. The picture plane is often slashed (to borrow an appropriate term) by diagonals that result in an �X� of one kind or another. The most obvious examples are again found in Struwwelpeter Road and Right Back Where We Started From but is otherwise implied throughout the work. Having reduced her colors to black & white and then cranking up the contrast,

Adela Leibowitz, I See You: Liquid Logic, 2001 -2002, gouache and acrylic, 40 x 58 in

it�s amazing how much mileage Leibowitz gets from these paintings. The weight, density and proportions of the forms differ considerably from one painting to the next. Compare, for example, The Juniper Trees and I See You: Liquid Logic where the former is composed of dense blocked out forms and the latter consists of thin linear elements as defined by the trees and brush. The effect in each is quite different even as the style and sensibility do not change.

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Adela Leibowitz, The Juniper Trees, 2001 -2002, gouache and acrylic, 40 x 60 in

Considering the premise of Abstract Art Online one lingering question remains: is Adela Leibowitz an abstract or figurative artist?  It�s true that she employs highly recognizable landscape imagery as subject matter in her paintings.  However, that same imagery is put to a decidedly abstract use when considering the content of the work. The content begins with her avowed desire to create a general quality of heightened emotional anxiety in the viewer that also transcends the landscape imagery. The stark contrast in the form�s masses, the absence of color and the obvious or implied crosses created by forms also contribute to this. In the end it all conspires to open the interpretation beyond pure apprehension to include internal virtual landscapes; those uncomfortable places beyond the boundaries of what consciousness is able to handle. Such places might begin with the movie imagery suggested by the artist. For some of us the terrain may move on to memories of the long winters of Northern Minnesota and for others simply open up an undefined sense of loss, loneliness or sadness and beyond.  One thing these paintings do not convey is a sense of well-being and comfort.

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