KESHA BRUCE’s “Magic Spells & Reminders” reviewed in the Washington Post

By Mark Jenkins

March 4, 2016

Kesha Bruce

A pair of paintings from Kesha Bruce’s previous Morton Fine Art show hang alongside the current one, “Magical Spells and Reminders.” These renderings of mystical “guardians” are precursors of two newer pictures of silhouetted patchwork figures that wear crowns. But the recent work is in a different style, and most of it is not figurative. Instead, it emphasizes what the Arizona-based artist calls a “personal, magical alphabet” that developed from her drawings. Among the glyphs are a teardrop shape and a cross with arms of equal length.

The latter is featured in “The Crossroads,” a potent collage-painting that is mostly in bloodlike shades, with white and black marks and glittery areas. The mixed-media piece began, as did the others, with bolts of cloth from a defunct Seattle upholstery factory. The artist painted and cut the material, assembled the roughly rectangular scraps and then painted some more.

The process yields works that suggest both mid-20th-century abstraction and traditional hand-printed fabrics. Bruce’s symbols are new to her, but they tap into something ancient.

Kesha Bruce: Magical Spells and Reminders On view through March 17 at Morton Fine Art, 1781 Florida Ave. NW. 202-628-2787. mortonfineart.com.

Kesha Bruce, The Crossroads, 2016, 60″x48″, mixed media on canvas

Click HERE to view available artworks by KESHA BRUCE.

Contact Morton Fine Art for acquisition information.

Morton Fine Art, 1781 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009

(202) 628-2787, mortonfineart@gmail.com, http://www.mortonfineart.com

 

MFA’s New Home

MFA curator’s studio is permanently located at 1781 Florida Ave, NW, just below Mint Gym between Adams Morgan and U Street. We are scheduled to host a series of exciting small exhibitions in our new studio, as well as launch *a pop-up project in another DC location this coming fall.

Our curator’s studio is an inviting space that includes an art “library” as well as several gallery fish.

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In addtion to inventory from last spring’s *pop-up project, we are currently exhibiting Small Works on Paper at the studio with new works by Vonn Sumner, Laurel Hausler and Rosemary Feit Covey.  MFA’s curator’s studio is open Tues-Sat, 11 am – 6 pm. We invite you to come by and enjoy our new home!

** Be sure to check in next week to hear about the launch of MFA’s new generation of art services!