Revised Review:
When the wind dies down, and the rain grows gentle" (Sarah Imani) 56 Henry Street
Janine Olshefski
With the spike in popularity of contemporary art, it is hard to find works that I have an emotional connection to as an artist whose practice is rooted in traditional mediums such as colored pencil, oil pastels and graphite.
To keep up the expectations within the art world, many galleries have been focusing their attention towards the growing popularity of contemporary art. Which is why, when I stepped into the exhibit, “When the wind dies down, and the rain grows gentle” by Sareh Imani, it was especially eye-catching for me, not only because of Imani’s technical skills, but because of the reasons why she draws what she draws. Imani’s works are rooted in observations during her routine walks through the forests of upstate New York where she lives. She gathers materials from various stages of their natural life cycle. In order to preserve these materials, Imani casts sticks, rocks, leaves and more products of nature into plaster which she later uses to construct a still life set up from these organic forms to be drawn in her delicate, yet hyper realistic style. Her decision to use pastel pencils allows her to be precise, while the composition and scale of the pieces forces the viewer to take in the whole drawing by observing natural elements in a perspective that encourages the viewer to see the beauty of nature.
In your opening paragraph, there is a sentence that gets cut off mid‑way: "That is why when I stepped foot into the" and then a new sentence begins with "The exhibit..." You can simply merge the two sentences into one complete sentence to make your introduction much smoother. "That is why when I stepped into the exhibit 'When the Wind Dies Down, and the Rain Grows Gentle' by Sareh Imani, it was especially eye-catching for me." Overall, your review is very thoughtful and interesting. I really like how you connect your own identity as a traditional artist to Imani's work, and the way you highlight her ability to find beauty in overlooked, everyday things is especially moving.
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DeleteThis review is articulated in a very professional matter, yet also attempts to connect with the reader through your personal connections to the work. If our reviews were allowed to be longer I would have loved for you to have gone in deeper with your commentary on the current expectations of modernization in art galleries. I can really relate to being an artist who works in a way that is not aligned with contemporary styles, and appreciated this exhibit for its unique approach while holding traditional roots. Great review Janine! :)
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