Sunday, October 23, 2011

Cheri Reif Naselli has the Blues

Cheri Reif Naselli’s Le Lac is a meditation in blue. Painted on a heavy, wooden block, the image wraps around the corners in a liquid embrace. It is a simple, timeless scene: gently peaking water and above, a subtle play of light and atmosphere - recalling Dutch landscapes - all awash in milky blues.

The lack of specificity lends the piece an enigmatic haze - evocative of the mysteries contained in the rippling of any deep water. We might wonder if what lies behind those clouds are mountains or just more water. The French title might suggest Lake Geneva, however, in Chicago we know that Le Lac, or The Lake only refers to Lake Michigan. Here, Reif Naselli has created a contextually transmutable landscape that transcends place and time and in doing, reveals the continuity of both.

Come contemplate it at ARC until October 29th

By Rachel Brown

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