NYAB Event - Al Souza "[SIC]"

Al Souza "[SIC]"

Pavel Zoubok Gallery

This event has ended.

[sic]…The purpose of this adverb is to inform a reader that any errors or apparent errors in material that have been copied are not from transcription, but are in fact reproduced exactly from the original source. Bracketed sics are often used to draw attention to the original writer's mistakes. In the case of Al SOUZA’s meticulously crafted “puzzle paintings” – dense accumulations of die-cut puzzle pieces – the absence of narrative and the seemingly random arrangement of disparate elements are not a “mistake” on the part of the artist, but rather central to his intent.

Souza’s work of the past twenty-five years has concerned itself with exploring the unique formal qualities of a given material rather than deconstructing and/or recreating specific images. He began working on what became his signature puzzle paintings in 1996. In contrast to the narrative puzzle works of Jess (1923-2004) whose use of the found image was rooted in the written word, Souza’s compositions are decidedly abstract in both their form and content. At a time when many of the artist’s contemporaries were working with paint and other media that proved to be toxic, Souza turned to his local thrift stores and flea markets for found materials. While many collagists gravitate naturally toward the intimate scale, Souza’s works often reach imposing dimensions, emphasizing the density of the materials and the monumentality of his vision.

[sic] juxtaposes Souza’s puzzle work with a series of perforated collages that are inspired by the conceptual strategies of John Cage (1912-1992), who would cut actual holes into his musical compositions to reveal the notes beneath. In his “Engraving Masks” and “Edward Curtis American Indians” series, Souza punctuates images with oval cut-outs that similarly form a complex network of positive and negative spaces. Other works, such as “Scrambled Eggs” and “AUGH!” recall the artist’s childhood fascination with the Sunday Comics, the way lines of dialogue would emerge from stacks of back issues piled together like snippets of random conversation. For Souza each facet of his work brings together visual information, chance operations and the pleasure of working with the material.

Al Souza has exhibited both nationally and internationally since 1971. His work is represented in several major public collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Biblioteche Nationale, Paris, France; San Diego Museum of Art, La Jolla, CA; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA; Yale University of Art, New Haven, CT; Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, CT; Museum of Modern Art, Belgrade, Yugoslavia; and Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX. Al Souza lives and works in western Massachussets and Houston, Texas where in 2006 he was named “Texas Artist of the Year” by the Art League Houston. This is his first solo exhibition at Pavel Zoubok Gallery.

[Image: Al Souza "Tip Tops Redux" (2007) Puzzle parts and glue on wood 28 x 24 in.]