Art from opposite ends of the spectrum - Bradenton Herald - by Joan Altabe - November 22, 2007
Paul Lorenz will be showing new paintings at Greene Contemporary from November 3 through December 1, 2007 in an exhibition he has titled "Absence and Shadow: What is left when all is removed." An opening reception on Friday, November 2 will preview the exhibition from 6 to 9PM. Lorenz's new works have been influenced by his interest in Japan and Japanese art. Lorenz who grew up in Chicago and attended the School of the Art Institute there, mixes his own colors from dry pigments and builds up the surface of his canvas in layers. This series of paintings makes great and varied use of white paint as a ground or as a veil over other colors. These new paintings are subtle and often mysterious.
Paul Lorenz's statement about his new work:
" 'Absence' may not necessarily mean something has departed, but possibly just the perception of something missing. One painting leads to the next, each keeping this thread moving forward to an end I cannot even imagine at this point. The effect of time and time line guides the perceptions and results. By working with a limited palette of titanium white and raw pigments, the resulting visual images may be covert or overt depending upon the compositional structures of chemistry and image. These are works that are at once quiet and contemplative, but also harbor intellectual and visual challenges concerning space, line and control."
The architecture, performance and visual art of post-war Japan have always been a source of inspiration and creative questioning. My new work explores the idea of "absence" both visual and physical -veiling expression, veiling structure and veiling movement. The drawings and paintings evolved over the past year, through the observation of the work of architects Shigeru Ban and Tadao Ando, of painters Kazuo Shiraga and Minoru Kawabata, and Butoh performer Kazuo Ohno.
My first Butoh performance was in New York City in early 1991. I had never heard of Butoh, but a friend told me it would change my life. She was correct. Since that fateful event, I have scoured every city I have ever been in to find performances. I was particularly fortunate while living in Berkeley, California to have many performances to choose from, plus an annual Butoh Festival in San Francisco. The personal mystery behind each performer is the key to every performance. In one respect, the performers are emotionally naked, and yet to my Western eyes, there is disorientation in my expectations of the visual power. The silences and moments of non-movement can be so strong that they bring tears.