SAT 2/19
The color-field painters who rose to international acclaim in the 1960s were known for monumental works lavishly saturated with luscious brushwork or thinly stained shimmers of paint meant to engulf the spectator in a sensorial experience. Interested in the atmospheric effect of vast expanses of color filling the canvas and hinting at an infinite space beyond, these artists orchestrated visual environments that remain among the most dramatic examples of abstraction in modern art. "Jules Olitski: Six Decades" is a retrospective exhibit of one of the masters of the genre at the Goldman Warehouse (404 NW 26th St., Miami). The exhibit, which runs through April 15, also includes select works by Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, and several others.
Olitski, considered one of the most inventive and powerful American painters of the era, earned fame for his luminous sweeping fields of radiant hues that helped define color-field abstraction as championed by critic Clement Greenberg and art historians. The gallery is open Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. Call 305-531-4411--Carlos Suarez de Jesus
Artist Undeterred
Queenie will amaze thee
SUN 2/20
"Astonishing" is a word many utter after an encounter with Queenie Archer. Born with cerebral palsy and a quadriplegic, Archer has been creating remarkable oil paintings for the past 25 years using a device that resembles a metal headband with a paintbrush attached. Her portraits, still lifes, and island scenes each take more than six months to complete and reflect a heartwarming sense of humor, precise brushwork, and attention to detail. "She is one of the most amazing human beings I have met in my life," says Lisa Costello, a speech pathology student at Nova Southeastern University who has organized a celebration of Archer's work at the Bakehouse Art Complex (561 NW 32nd St., Miami) today from 2:00 to 5:00. "Beyond the Canvas: Life Works of a Disabled Artist, Queenie Archer" not only showcases many of the African-American artist's paintings, but Archer will also demonstrate her technique and recite original poetry. Call 305-576-2828. --Carlos Suarez de Jesus
Feeling Fliski?
FRI 2/18
Is the wine and cheese any better if the artist is French? Maybe that age- old question will be answered tonight when Marius Fliski opens his latest exhibit, "Femmes de Montmartre," at the AF Institute (1414 Coral Way, Miami). Already a name in the haute couture circles of Paris, Fliski turned to painting to further satisfy his creative spirit. While it might seem de rigueur that a fashion designer would have a flashy, contemporary feel to his paintings, Fliski's work soundly recalls the Impressionists instead. The pieces seem to flit back through time to capture the atmosphere of both the lively dancehalls and the gentle nooks of nineteenth-century Paris. The exhibit runs through March 9. The festivities begin at 7:00, and admission is free. Call 305-859-8760. -- Margaret Griffis
