Weathering the Storm III 2017

Rochelle Blumenfeld created “Weathering the Storm III” with what looks like acrylic on canvas, and right away I’m struck by the diagonal energy in the piece. It makes me think about how we can build structures or find structures in nature, that give us shelter from things. The paint is applied in thin, transparent washes, like watercolor almost, but there's also this real physicality. You can see the individual brushstrokes. They create movement, like rain slashing down or wind whipping through trees. Those blacks and blues at the bottom have such depth to them, and then the pale grays at the top. Look at that one triangle shape right in the middle, how it almost seems to be crumbling. The light feels fragile, like it could be snuffed out any second. This reminds me of Agnes Martin, her quiet grids and subtle colors. Both artists show us that art can be a space for contemplation, a place to weather our own storms.