Page 36 - Studio International - July August 1974

Acrylic on canvas, 70¾ x 69½ in.
David Mirvish Gallery, Toronto

since the 15 bottom stripes are slightly higher
in chroma than those at the top and appear
more frontal as well, but the distinction is
half-hearted. As Noland sees it, in pictures of
this multi-striped type, the elements sometimes
tend 'not to return to the surface as they must
do'. The result can be 'almost psychedelic,
schizzy'. It is as though Noland had somehow
lost the sense of rhythm informing so much of
his best work.
Trans-Median II (1968)" is flawed in a
rather opposite way. Its very explicit bifurcation
is heightened by the prevailing (but not
invariable) chroma contrast of its thin stripes :
low chroma to the top, high chroma to the
bottom. The meeting of two of these thin
stripes at the centre of the picture ties its
halves together while at the same time
allowing the top half to cant away from the
frontality of the bottom. However, in this
picture the bottom half sits too still, not really
engaged and activated by the top half. Further,
the division of qualities between the two bands,
more painterly handling to the bottom, higher
chroma to the top, is too fine, indeed almost
subliminal, and perhaps also too considered, to
enliven the work as a whole. Somehow, the
structure of the picture seems too rigid and
hence too inclined towards inertia.
With problems something like these in mind,
Noland cut in half (laterally) a number of
horizontal-stripe pictures that he felt did not,
singly, hold together, and a number of others
he reduced by cropping. Sometimes, however,
this reduction exacerbates the tendency
relation of acknowledgement between Vasarely's seeming control - indeed one might towards inertia. For instance, a number of
depicted and literal shapes. Beyond this, there say triumph - over the surface is in fact basically symmetrical pictures organized around
is again a strong central horizontal axis that is illusory. A more serious artist like Noland may one wide central band do not seem to
formed by the alignment of the elbows of the sometimes lose control of his surface, too, but establish sufficient tension. Hence, when a
chevrons with the literal corners to either side. when he does it is usually another matter Noland is unsuccessful, especially after 1967,
This central axis, like the weave" of the canvas, entirely, owing to some failing in realization it can have a particularly spare look. In part
is a unifying element reinforcing the literal rather than to the basic conception of the work. this is a problem of all non-objective paintings :
shape, but also carrying the eye of the viewer, Noland himself is quite aware of the they have nothing to fall back on. When a
from part to part, so that unpainted and tendency for some of his horizontal stripe realistic painting fails as art, it may still
painted canvas, shallow and deeper space, are paintings to run away from the surface. As we succeed on some other level, if only as
coalesced in a way that a lesser artist would. have seen, he has frequently made use of top- information. The more painterly (malerisch)
scarcely contemplate let alone accomplish. and-bottom symmetry and of bound pairs of non-objective artists, too, can often do
Day is, for example, vastly superior to stripes to open up the top and bottom of the flaccid work and still hold attention - or so it
such works by Vasarely as Vega-Nor, 1969 picture to vertical relationship and movement. would seem. But less painterly and more
(The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo), In some pictures, however, a wide range of severe artists like Mondrian, Noland, etc.,
which create the illusion of a cube, sphere, or colours is used and the numerous stripes may seem to have a tendency to look particularly
whatever, bulging in front of the canvas. stand on too many different planes in space. dry and unexpressive when not fully inspired.
Pictures like Vega-Nor are in fact thorough- The Whitney Museum's New Day of 1967, for Apparently touch is one of the elements of
going trompe-l'oeil, and function more as a instance, has 43 stripes, each a different colour, aesthetic surface14 most capable of
kind of surprise or puzzle than as good art. and Wild Indigo (also 1967) in the Albright- engendering an immediate impression of
Rather than surface tension, they exhibit Knox Art Gallery has 28 stripes of a different vitality.
surface distortion. Variation in spatial depth, colour. In a few pictures of this type the Now Noland himself does not think he is an
rather than being used as in high Cubism to call surface tends to get lost. Perhaps New Day is unpainterly artist. I have already noted the
into question and yet affirm the integrity of the just a little too tall to cohere fully. In Wild importance of saturation changes in the early
surface, is imposed on the picture plane, never Indigo, there is again a tendency for the `targets,' and it should be added that in some
relating to it enough to challenge it. Hence painting to order itself by dividing in half, of them, including the previously mentioned

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