Last week we visited a fabulous exhibit by celebrated Miami artist, Lynne Golob Gelfman (1944-2020). A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University School of the Arts, she was known for her welcoming nature and never-ending support for other artists. She developed strong friendships that lasted a lifetime. Her most famous works consisted of large-scale geometric abstractionist paintings, although she also played with other styles and themes over the years. In her iconic thru series, Gelfman used formal grids as a background for her paintings but allowed for the introduction of chance and playfulness as she manipulated acrylic paint causing it to seep and ooze across the canvas, softening and blurring the hard geometric edges.
In the current exhibit, Lynne’s works are paired with those of several artist friends whose work inspired her and vice versa. In the words of the curators, “the play of broken grids, folded canvasses, smeared rhythmic lines, triangle fragments, and irregular geometric shapes emphasize the blurring of hard geometry, humorously referencing the grids and geometries of Early Modernism”.
The first room in the exhibit pairs Gelfman with two artists, including Colombian textile artist Olga de Amaral (1982-present), whose work, both ephemeral and radiant, questions the art world’s tendency to relegate textiles to mere craft rather than recognize it as fine art. The Amaral piece shown below was formerly in the Gelfman’s dining room.
Lynne Golob Gelfman, orange purple green, 1977
Olga de Amaral, T.ALQUIMIA 74-LG, 1992
The second artist, Venezuelan Loriel Beltrán (1985-present) builds paintings with dozens of layers of latex paint on canvasses or panels, which he then scrapes to expose a rawer version of the painting while maintaining the overall softness of the image.
Loriel Beltrán, Chiaroscuro Nebulae, 2024
Loriel Beltrán, closeup of Chiaroscuro Nebulae
In a third room, Gelfman’s work appears alongside that of several artists who combine exuberant color palettes and multi-media collage. I particularly enjoyed the work of Miami artist Cristina Lei Rodriguez (1974-present).
Lynne Golob Gelfman, ca 9 (kolbart), 1984
Lynne Golob Gelfman, thru 1, 1974
Lynne Golob Gelfman, thru 3, 2013
In the pieces below, Rodriguez worked with acrylic paint, gouache, plaster, grout, yupo paper, faux pearls, and glass beads to create two fabulous, luminescent creations. Unfortunately, my iPhone didn’t quite capture the depth, tonalities, and shimmer of the first piece, but believe me, they were all there. The second turquoise piece better shows the vibrancy of her palette.
Cristina Lei Rodriguez, Weathering, 2024
Cristina Lei Rodriguez, Building Balance (in Turquoise), 2024
Frances Trombly (Miami 1974-present) works with textiles and frequently collaborated with Gelfman. Together, they played with the juxtaposition of the (grid-like) weft and warp weaving process, and the inherent softness of the resulting textile work.
Lynne Golob Gelfman, green red pink, 2019
Frances Trombly, Textile Drape over Wood Structure, 2023
Frances Trombly, Weaving (Madder, All This Time), 2020
In the urban grid section of the exhibit, Cuban artist Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova (1973-present) combines diverse personal and household objects with construction elements to evoke the built landscape and in particular the homes of working-class Americans. While Gelfman contributed a grid painting to this room, I liked the one below better, with its apparently non-grid motif, which rests upon a subtle geometric design.
Lynne Golob Gelfman, brey, 1996
Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, Gate Composition (Yellow Shirt), 2023
Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, Gate Composition (Blue Shirt), 2022
Finally, in a small room dedicated to Miami’s “toxic heat” Gelfman and Aramis Gutierrez (Miami 1975-present) reflect on the effect of our tropical environment on that most Florida-hearty plant, the Banana Tree.
Lynne Golob Gelfman, y/bl/wh (O+S), 1997
Aramis Gutierrez, Ester of Topocho, 2022
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