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"Light Womb," (detail). Mixed media on paper. The Reality of Abstract Painter F. Michael Wells provides infinite possibilites By G.F. Serpa Hypnotized by a glass of cognac, I find relief from a stint of visual depression. For whatever reason, the East Bay has not provided art that inspires me to write. Not quite consumed by the alcohol, painter F. Michael Wells' work greets me hanging at the front of the Albatross Pub in Berkeley. The paintings are reminiscent of standing in front of Jackson Pollock's "Number 1" drip painting. The violence of one color running across the canvas and the subtlety of another dancing on the edge becomes visual bait that one cannot help but devour. Traces of this Pollockian effect are found in Wells, as his images startle, puzzle, and force the viewer to sort out his paintings. Wells is a self-taught artist from Indiana, but his country landscape has turned into a West Oakland studio. Categorized as an abstract painter does not serve Wells, as there is something vastly concrete within his work. This comes from Wells' commitment to paint in a manner that not only represents something, but more importantly delivers an awareness of the body and mind. The 12 paintings exhibited are from The Crossing and The Exploration series. Two details immediately surface in the three paintings displayed from The Crossing. Vertical brush strokes that counter a unison of colored bands creates an optical ambiguity to what is at stake in the paintings. In "Autumn Dusk," my second and third takes move past the bands and into the brush stroke, by this point a great deal of concentration appears in the movements of the body. The brush strokes quickly take first tier to the colored bands distinguishing themselves as the bridge to the bodily movements, thus prescribing the quintessential ingredient of the painting. The Exploration comes out of the late '90s when Wells was working with oil, spray paint, veri-thane, charcoal, crayon, and oil pastel. In "Light Womb," the center presents a white smear traveling downward and flushing out into oblivion. It is this loss of gravity that establishes an unsecured space for the viewer and paint to commingle. However, supplying some stability to this image is a parallel of shapes, each attached to a vertical line. This painting, like others in the series, demonstrates an image that has no constraint over the painter, producing infinite possibilities of interpretation. Wells' aptitude to search the soul and the properties of paint evoke a vision clearly deeper than the abstract. The circumstances translate into a world of paint that force viewers to locate their own entrance of discovery. Unlocking these possibilities for the viewer is talent that provides both artist and viewer the space to learn and grow. F. Michael Wells will open his studio to the public for the first two weekends in June in conjunction with ProArts Open Studios. To learn more about Wells, visit his website at www.rawpaint.com. Gabriel Serpa may be reached at [email protected]. [ East Bay | Metroactive | Archives ]