Simultaneous Contrast

In his new exhibition, Hanan Shlonsky presents two groups of works: bales of hay in a field, and oval shapes in a color field. The contrast between these two bodies of work is formal, colorful, and thematic at the same time: concrete versus abstract, life versus death.

In the paintings—wax-tempera on canvas—each application of paint reveals, and at the same time conceals, the one underneath it. In the hay paintings, the local covering in gray shades dims the underlying colors, and dulls the sensory experience, while in the ellipse paintings, the transparent layers of paint expand the color range.

Shlonsky makes his paints from a mixture of wax, water, ammonium salt, and pigments. He also makes the frames, the surfaces, and the grounds. Beyond control of the material and the freedom it provides him, there is also a spiritual aspect to it: Shlonsky believes that working with unprocessed or minimally processed natural materials enhances the therapeutic power of the works.

To draw an ellipse, one must choose two foci, and the distance between them dictates its shape: whether more rounded or more elongated-eccentric. Shlonsky regards the ellipse as a metaphor for a relationship, attesting to life. The bales of hay, scattered in the field like graves, are an expression of termination, a representation of end.

The exhibition addresses the simultaneity in contrast. The visual and thematic dichotomies in the works invite the viewer to reflect on the concurrent existence of antithetical forces and ideas. This approach is consistent with the principles of Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes the tendency of human perception to organize visual elements into complete wholes. By juxtaposing contrasting elements, Shlonsky invites the viewer to complete the differences, producing a dynamic interplay of form, color, and meaning. The exhibition is not only a display of artistic skill, but a complex narrative of polar elements in life, encouraging deep contemplation and an emotional response.

Jonathan Gold