By
Kevin Greenberg

All images: Sarah Crowner, exhibition view of ‘Everywhere the Line is Looser,’ Casey Kaplan, New York, 2015. Photography by Jean Vong, courtesy of the artist and Casey Kaplan, New York.

SARAH CROWNER'S MODERNIST PATCHWORKS


At first glance, “Everywhere the Line is Looser,” Sarah Crowner’s third show in New York, and her début at Casey Kaplan, harkens back to an earlier era of abstraction: the bold forms, flat fields of color, and crisp compositions of Crowner’s generously sized wall works recall the immediate visual pleasure of Ellsworth Kelly. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes apparent that Crowner is not simply painting a single stretched and gessoed canvas, but rather assembling a patchwork of individual pieces, both painted and unfinished, with subtle, visible seams.

Crowner is unabashed about her historical reference points: one recurring motif was inspired by the backdrop to a spread from 1957 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, in which the couture outfits intermingled sensuously with a graphic backdrop. The connection to fashion is no accident: the artist’s work implies an explicit interest in the connections between textile design and the language of classical modern abstraction and the applied arts.

NW_SarahCrowner01

The installation of Crowner’s works in the gallery displays a lively, lyrical counterpoint, and some of the most pleasurable works are the ones in which Crowner has chosen a monochromatic palette. These tonal studies seem designed to bring the act of sewing and material manipulation—integral components of the artist’s process—to the forefront for closer inspection. Throughout it all, there is an unexpected sense of nuance and confidence in Crowner’s adopted language. By turns bold, invigorating, and absorbing, Crowner manages to imbue her works with more depth than their surefooted compositions might at first suggest.

“Everywhere the Line is Looser” runs through Saturday at Casey Kaplan, 121 West 27th Street, New York.

By
Kevin Greenberg

All images: Sarah Crowner, exhibition view of ‘Everywhere the Line is Looser,’ Casey Kaplan, New York, 2015. Photography by Jean Vong, courtesy of the artist and Casey Kaplan, New York.

  • Share

Related