Dozier Bell
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne‘s Meditation no. 17 from “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions” (1624)
If a poltergeist had not taken up residence in my car this week, shooting shards of metal through my wheel base and sticking the radio on an AM evangelical station, I would be heading to Portland, Maine this minute to see Dozier Bell’s painting exhibition at Aucocisco Galleries.
Dozier Bell, "Circling", acrylic on linen, 20 inches x 27 inches, 2010
Without seeing them in person, I don’t think it is fair for me to comment on them. But the images as I see them on the computer are haunting, moody and other worldly. They appear to have an aching melancholy to them.
Dozier Bell, "Overcast", acrylic on linen, 46 inches x 44 inches, 2010
There often seems to be some back story. In “Circling” are the birds overhead vultures. In “Overcast” one wonders if the cross hairs are seeking a target. And if so, what target?
Dozier Bell, "Haze", acrylic on linen, 22 inches x 28 inches, 2008
Again in “Haze”, the grid over the landscape is menacing. The grid focuses one’s attention on what remains unseen.
Dozier Bell, "Plague Series 1", acrylic on linen, 28 inches x 42 inches, 2006
And “Plague Series 1″ seems like a post-apocalyptic landscape.
None of these paintings feel “viewed from a distance”. We are participating in these landscapes. We are surveying them, afraid of them, fleeing them. These paintings seem to be about what we fear and what we do when we fear. That is a lot to accomplish with a little paint and canvas.
If you go:
Aucocisco Galleries, 89 Exchange Street, Portland, Maine, 04101, 207-775-2222, info@aucocisco.com 88999nge et
Port89 Exchange Street
Portland, Maine 04101
207.775.2222
Books of Interest:
Artist Leslie Parke lives on the New York/Vermont border and works in a studio that spans the top floor of a 19th century factory building. Over the years she has worked on both sides of the pond in Sweden, France and Germany.
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I tried to purchase the Dozier Bell book-of-interest you listed in this blog however was informed it was out of print. If you know of a source where it can be purchased would you please let me know?
Many thanks,
Catherine Ruane
I am so sorry about that. You might look for the same title on http://www.abe.com That is a great site for used books.