Laurie Reid Paintings
Agnes Martin once wrote that, “the function of art works is… the renewal of memories and moments of perfection.” Reid’s mark making is so precise that the forms and shapes, lines and shadows she creates can alchemize ordinary materials into something transcendental. In the past, she has used broken mirror to “paint” on paper making the reflective surface a fluid abstraction that becomes unrecognizable matter akin to the ocean’s shimmer. On large format rolls of paper, she has simply used water to bubble up the flatness, that most artist’s more often desire in keeping pristine, and used this to create hinted at impressions. In her current show, she takes the linen canvas, instead of what’s on it, and draws the viewer’s eye up, over, and under the stretcher bar’s normal playing field.
Similiar to how a Richard Tuttle wire piece and its shadow can draw you into its details, when you examine a Reid painting it transports you into every fold or squiggly overpainting. A childlike curiosity paired with an adult’s intense examination takes hold because even though Reid’s work may be considered minimalist, the work she unveils in the object in front of you is full of associative sequences and offers poetic insights.
