First and foremost, I want to make a special thanks to Cass for this awesome review and the great photo! Now on to a fantastic review.
Frank Paletta: Radical Acceptance
As I am neither an art critic, nor a connoisseur of modern art I will simply provide my impressions of Frank’s works as well as of Frank himself.
As I viewed the large works on the wall, I was struck at how artwork you may not fully understand can still evoke a strong emotion in you. One of the first images as you walk in was also, in my opinion, one of the most striking. The piece left me unsettled, bordering on upset as to my eyes it appeared to be the remembrance of an unborn baby possibly from a miscarriage or an abortion. I’ll be honest, I have no idea whatsoever if that is what the artist painted or intended to convey but it’s what I saw and felt when looking at the piece and I believe any art that leaves you feeling such strong emotions is great art.
Luckily just a few pictures away from that piece was another large painting which reminded me of childhood vacations spent in Florida and the hotel rooms I happily sat in reading a book while the rest of the family hung out on the beach or played in the ocean. It’s been decades since I’ve thought back on any of those trips but Frank’s work was pulling the long-forgotten memory and subsequent emotions from me. In an amusing moment as we examined another of the large works, I explained to my friend the things I saw. In a literal sense from the abstract in front of us I saw a horse on a beach where a scuba diver was in solitude at a sun-filled spot in the ocean, a child’s hobby horse lay at the bottom of the ocean with a child’s stuff animal riding on it. Hidden the scene was a monkey peeking out to say hello. My friend of course had a good laugh and explained she saw none of these things and then proceeded to tell me what she was seeing in the painting. Needless to say, I didn’t see a damn thing she spoke of.
One of the joys of this show and of Frank’s body of work on display is discovering how the emotion on the canvas affects your emotions and how paint on canvas can toy with your personal thought process. Like many great artists Frank’s works are not just meant to be seen but to be experienced. I was fortunate enough to meet Frank as we were leaving the reception and he came across as so genuinely pleased that people had come to the show and were enjoying his paintings. Although it was a brief moment the way that Frank gave his full attention to me and the warmth and positive energy he exuded leads me to believe that if you are a friend of Frank’s you’re a lucky person.
I will conclude by saying if you are a fan of Frank’s art and have to opportunity to head to BG Gallery before the 19th you should definitely do so. If you are a beginning collector there was a wall dedicated to smaller paintings, which were no less evocative than the larger pieces, at a very affordable price range. Personally, I think 1 or 2 of these smaller pieces would be a great start for a beginning collector as well as a nice complement to the existing collection of the more experienced collector.
Now, on to the host of the evening Mr. Clark Gregg. Appearing to take his hosting, and friend, duties to heart Clark seemed always to be having a friendly chat with one person or another and yet he never appeared to be rushed in his conversations, rather giving people his full attention and posing for pictures when asked all while appearing to be the most chill dude in the room. I do not know if It is the surfing, the Brazilian Jujitsu or the meditation but he was the picture of calm energy. Whatever it is if he could bottle it and sell that shit, he would make a fortune.
Although I had accepted that my own anxiety was going to prevent me from speaking to Clark a moment presented itself in a natural way which made it easier to speak to him. A good friend had joined me for the reception, and I asked Clark to take a photo with her, which the poor girl did not see coming but she handled it like a pro. Then it was my turn for a photo with Clark…and of course looking at it afterwards it is clear to see that my eyes are closed. You win some, you lose some. We did however get a lovely photo of the both of us with Clark and I have to say that although it may seem like a small or silly thing to focus on, the gentle and light touch as he brings his hand to your back and holds it there for the pose just came across as such a kind and respectful thing to do. Or maybe it’s just that the night was warm and muggy and I imagine most people there were a bit damp skinned and to be honest, I wouldn’t want to touch other people’s damp skin either. But seriously, I think it is just that he is a gentleman…that is my story and I’m sticking to it.
Lastly, once again Clark managed to pull off the handsome movie star/hot dad next door look that he has had going on. If I were a teenager, I would seriously have his poster on my bedroom wall…and a smaller matching one in my school locker.
If you would like to attend this event, it is still going on until the 19th of July at bG gallery in Santa Monica. For more information on this specific gallery and where to attend, go to this link.
Photo of Cass, her friend & Clark at the bG Gallery Open on July 10th, 2021.
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