Buster Levi Gallery is pleased to present new paintings by Martee Levi at 121 Main Street in Cold Spring, New York. The exhibition will run from September 6 to September 29, 2024. 

Geometry and composition in the modernist tradition have been the foundation for Martee Levi’s work for over a decade. Levi’s manipulations of basic geometric shapes balanced though a combination of size variation and color weight has seemed almost endless. She has successfully conveyed movement, rhythm, tension and mood through careful placement and rigorous structure. 

Levi’s recent work continues these explorations with a few variations. First of all she is letting her compositions develop more organically; looser and less taut. Levi describes this process as; “letting go”. In many recent paintings edges are softer and more varied, shapes do not necessarily line up straight. The shapes are imperfect as well, sometimes even a little ‘wobbly’. In fact, the entire composition can look as if someone accidentally bumped into it. Another way that Levi is modifying her current paintings is the application of the paint itself. While her brushwork has always been vigorous and assured, in many recent works the paint application appears as is Levi has stopped midway through the process to consider how definite the color and area need to be. It is not uncommon to see multiple areas of paint density or colors and tones within shapes. Finally, Levi is adding other elements or altering the shapes within the paintings in addition to her use of consistent rectangular forms. In some paintings shapes are rounded or are comprised of just a series of brushstrokes almost lacking definition. In others she has added linear or dotted elements within some of her shapes that create different focal points within the composition as a whole. 

Overall, Levi’s new paintings are rich and varied. Figure and ground are not definitive and the space fluctuates while still maintaining the plane. It is clear when looking at the paintings as a group or series that they are related, however, they offer multiple rewards that change from work to work. 

The gallery will be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to five pm.

For more information: busterlevigallery.com.

Artist Website: marteelevi.com