11/26/2022
Martin Colden’s Gestural Dance of Paint at the Wall Gallery
By Verá (Vee) Tineo
I was invited to the Wall Gallery (61 Seabring Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn) with a warm welcome from co-founders Franz Landspersky and Scott Pfaffman. Both professional artists, Pfaffman and Landspersky have designed their quirky gem of a gallery space from an artist’s point of view. Walking down the entry ramp into this converted half-basement space one is surprised by what is a spacious and well-lit gallery. The layout encourages contemplation and comparison of the artwork. All in all one feels like the long journey to Red Hook (several trains and a bus for me!) has paid off.
Entering the Wall Gallery
Currently installed at the Wall Gallery are immense abstract gestural drawings by German artist Martin Colden. Pinned directly to the wall these pieces invite us to activate our imagination and wonder as we scan the sweeping marks with curiosity trying to discern the actions of the artist at work making them.
Upon careful observation one notes that the large paper and upcycled billboard sheets are creased evenly, indicating that they have been folded. My curiosity was sparked! Seeing my interest director Scott Pfaffman told me about the two small carrier boxes that held these enchanting drawings on their route from Germany to Red Hook, Brooklyn. Folding the work not only allows for safe travel, it is also a crucial compositional element to Colden’s paintings, working as a guide for the artist as he works. In addition, each small rectangular shape can be seen as its own composition within the larger piece.
In the work on display there is an evident mastery and intriguing use of material including ink, paint, paper and repurposed billboards ads. I am particularly drawn to the fact that Colden collects billboard ads to use as a base for his paintings. This provides us with a bit of a scavenger-like experience looking for the text -- guessing at the content of the ad and wondering how it might factor into the artwork. Language is not only literally repeated through found advertising words, but also with letter-like calligraphic marks and spherical shapes. In both the larger and more intimately scaled work Colden’s stroke is created with dexterity, his handling of ink and paint is animated, adept and fluid, seemingly getting it “just right” again and again. Perhaps this is more than drawing, and a bit of a dance? There is a sense of choreography in Colden’s approach which can be seen and felt, the drawings exist as evidence of that dance.
Colden’s gestural mark-making activates the whole canvas forcing the eye to dart and swirl as one contemplates the work. The language and text elements encourage us to read the work as one might a poem. There is a new layer to this dance with these human-scaled works as we the audience join in. Martin Colden’s work has a charm that can only truly be experienced in person at the Wall Gallery now through December 7 by calling 718-781-8263 to make an appointment. I encourage you to go and experience these masterful works yourself.
Vera in the Martin Colden exhibition at The Wall Gallery. Photo by Scott Pfaffman
