The title Entropvisions is in homage to my mother, the poet and art critic, Harriet Zinnes. In 1990 New Directions published a collection of her poems titled Entropisms, a word she made-up combining entropy - the tendency toward disorder - and tropism - the growth towards or away from a stimulus. Similarly, my short reviews combine entropy and tropism by suggesting growth towards a vision of art from the chaos of the art world. Through the back door, my title also pays homage to my physicist father, Irving Zinnes, whose long discussions with my mom got her thinking about entropy and tropism in the first place.
Two strong shows now hanging in the LES are Jim Osman at McKenzie Fine Art, up through April 3, and Sarah McEneaney at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery , up through April 23. Jim and I met in grad school, so it's been quite a treat to follow his work over the years. Always with a sense of play and immaculate formal balance, I think this show is one of his best. With oblique references to interiors and figures, and a world of surprises as you walk around a piece to discover unexpected colors and textures, the work made me feel like a child living in an enchanted universe. McEneaney's paintings also feel enchanted, with their exuberant color and pure joy of place, with a slight spatial tilt.
Jim Osman
Jim Osman
Jim Osman
Jim Osman
Jim Osman
Sarah McEneaney
Sarah McEneaney
Sarah McEneaney