Continuing through February 2, 2013
A patina of splotches and stains besmirch the black and white color field paintings of “Waterhome” by Chicago-born, Berlin-based artist, James Krone. Though the oil on canvas works have a clear relationship to minimalist painting, they also reference an unusual source: an algae-filled aquarium. Inspired by the way algae continuously builds on and crumbles from the sides of a fish tank, Krone parallels this natural process through the application and removal of various colors of paint on the rabbit-skin glue covered canvases. The colors that remain stained on the canvas blend towards black and natural discrepancies in the surfaces create chance yet controlled compositions.
Among a number of works hung like traditional paintings, seven canvases are stacked face-to-face upon a low pedestal, highlighting the edges that bear the bleed of the painted layers. In "Waterhome Dressing Screen II," five panels are attached and freestanding, displaying both sides so that viewers can fully examine the seductive results of Krone's labor-intensive process.
