McKenzie Fine Art: Barbara Takenaga Exhibition 2005

55 Orchard Street, New York, New York 10002 212 989 5467 fax 212 989 5642


	Barbara Takenaga November 17 - December 17, 2005
	Relying mainly upon lines and repeated dots that change in scale against a dark background, Barbara Takenaga creates dense networks of beads and spheres that seem to either implode or explode from a distant and somewhat off-center focal point. These new, exuberant paintings demonstrate her typical meticulous patterning, but with shifts in her palette and visual vocabulary. Using metallic paints that change with the light and the position of the viewer, Takenaga expands upon her interest in optical buzz and the distorted spatial effects of her compositions. The artist also employs a greater range of color to create a more subtle sense of light or a more intense vibration than in past work. These changes alter the emotional tone and mood of her work, as does a dramatic increase in the size of some of the pieces. The largest paintings are human-scaled and envelop the viewer in shimmering, pulsating swirls of particles. Takenaga’s careful balance of visual punch, vertiginous space, and central focal point imparts a sense of wonder and dread in the face of stellar spectacles of genesis or collapse.