Montage @ Gazelli Art House

Gazelli Art House presents Montage, a group exhibition featuring works created in a diverse range of mediums by Helen Frankenthaler, Nancy Grossman, Grace Hartigan, Lilly Fenichel, Perle Fine, Betty Parsons, Sonia Sekula, Yvonne Thomas and Michael (Corinne) West. The exhibition displays an examination of abstract expressionist works created in the artists’ secondary mediums. The non-canvas works spotlight the female interaction with the Post-war artistic developments, such as the European application of abstract expressionism, them influencing the American elaboration of the practice.

*Montage*, 2024. First Floor Installation View. Photo Courtesy: Gazelli Art House. Photography by Deniz Guzel.

Gazelli Art House was founded in 2010 by Mila Askarova, with the intention of creating an art gallery that spotlights and champions an international roster of artists at the height of their career. Along with a second space in Baku, Azerbaijan, the gallery focuses on promoting art from the Azerbaijan region and its neighbouring counties to bring to the attention of international audiences the developing vibrant artistic scene of the middle-east. By drawing connections across the strong linguistic, religious, and historical nuances, the represented artists inform their audiences of the parallels between east and west.

The space presents the exhibition solely on the ground floor of the gallery, extending the creative conversation to the first floor, where the works on canvas are seen as a continuation of the creative language of the artists displayed bellow.

Montage, as anticipated above, brings together works created with secondary mediums, which the artists aren’t usually regarded as working with. The shift in representation, cross works on paper and collage, highlights a novel facet of the application of abstract impressionism. In addition to the perspective shift across the medium, it is important to highlight that the exhibition presents a complete roster of female artists. As abstract expressionism is regarded as a current dominated by male creatives, the female perspective becomes increasingly relevant in the rise, discovery and recognition women artist are receiving in the current art world dialogue.

Inspired by Mary Gabriel’s publication, Ninth Street Women in 2018 and the success of the gallery’s exhibition 9th St. Club exhibition in 2020, Montage re-visits these successful women artists in the context of the 21st century. Therefore, the amalgamation of diverse artistic voices that defined an era presented in one location creates a strong dialogue between the works present in the exhibition. The artists in the exhibition are interlinked between each other through their interpretation of emotion, colour or form.

Firstly, exploring the interpretation of emotional complexities, Michael Corinne West’s works combine intuition, complexity and nuance across a constantly changing artistic approach to abstract expressionism across the influence of cubism, surrealism and the cold war. The emotion present in her works are similar to Nancy Grossman’s exploration of the human psyche and societal constructs. Grossman’s collages showcase a remarkable interplay of vivid textures and the fragmented arrangement of elements in her imagery by testing the limits of the medium.

Secondly, the element of form is present across Lilly Fenichel's dynamic compositions radiating a powerful energy through the precise arrangement of fragments, shapes and textures. Her use of naturalistic calligraphic forms recalls Colour Field painting. This creates a link to Grace Hartigan’s use of colour.

Finally, colour is present in Hartigan’s work across the emotional intensity and spontaneity intrinsic to the artist’s interpretation of the abstract expressionist movement. Also embodying the avant-garde spirit of Abstract Expressionism through the creative use of materials and layered compositions, Sonja Sekula subverts conventional concepts of space and dimension across her surrealist approach. Additionally, Yvonne Thomas’ layering and sensitivity to the expressive potentialities of colour and sensitivity to the expressive potentialities of colour captures the poetic character of abstraction.

All the artists bring an interesting and unique interpretation of abstraction to the exhibition, particularly the works by Helen Frankenthaler, Betty Parsons and Perle Fine.

Helen Frankenthaler's renowned “soak-stain” technique, in which she poured diluted paint onto an unprime canvas and allowed the colours to mingle organically, exemplifies how spontaneity and control are combined in her works. In the work Frankenthaler, the cover of the book is designed by Robert Motherwell, whilst the inside features Helen Frankenthaler’s paintings which were included in a display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1973, and commentary surrounding each work provided by Barbara Rose. The book was later altered, becoming a special edition of 62.

Helen Frankenthaler, *Frankenthaler*, 1971. Acrylic on canvas bound book, Number 44/62 original paintings for the artist’s monography by Barbara Rose. 27.6 x 29.5 x 3.8 cm. Photo Courtesy: Gazelli Art House.

Helen Frankenthaler, *Frankenthaler*, 1971. Unframed Detail. Photo Courtesy: Gazelli Art House.

Betty Parsons’ creative language began when she started experimenting with items she found on the shore next to her house, including driftwood, signs, and disassembled furniture. By using paint to assemble various materials into designs that resembled toys, buildings, or masks, the artist paints the found pieces similarly to how she would handle canvases. Taking inspiration of colours from native American art, the wooden assemblages highlight Parsons’ deft use of materials and meticulous sense of composition, highlighting her role as an innovator in the search of abstraction.

Betty Parsons, Untitled (Pink, Orange and Grey), c. 1970. Acrylic on wood. 41.9 x 43.2 x 3.8 cm. Photo Courtesy: Gazelli Art House.

Betty Parsons, *Untitled* (Pink, Orange and Grey), c.1970. Detail. Photo Courtesy: Grace Jamieson Bianciardi.

Betty Parsons, *Sound Melody*, 1977. Acrylic on wood. 51.4 x 55.2 x 3.8 cm. Photo Courtesy: Gazelli Art House.

Betty Parsons, *Sound Melody*, 1977. Detail. Photo Courtesy: Grace Jamieson Bianciardi.

Linking to the differentiation between the ground and first floor of the gallery, Perle Fine’s work is present on both levels. On the ground floor Collage Mobile demonstrated the artist’s approach to abstraction across the balance in use of forms and overlap of textures. Whilst on the first floor the painting, Theme: Blue, defines her use of colour and impromptu response to the medium.

Perle Fine, *Collage Mobile*, 1959. Collage mounted on board. 68.6 x 71.1 cm. Photo Courtesy: Gazelli Art House.

Perle Fine, *Theme: Blue*, 1948-49. Oil on canvas, 43 x 37 cm. Photo Courtesy: Grace Jamieson Bianciardi.

Conclusively, this exhibition re-evaluates the female perspective of abstract expressionism by bringing together nine women artists works of art across a diverse application of mediums. The different interpretation of form and colour across an emotional response to the medium, highlights the creative strength of these artists.

Montage is on display at Gazelli Art House in London until 13 July 2024.

Grace Jamieson Bianciardi

Reviews Editor, MADE IN BED

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