Marcus Reichert

Marcus Reichert is having an exhibition at the Adelson Galleries Boston - opening this Friday, June 19th and running through August 2nd.

Les Fleurs - Pink
Marcus Reichert
35" x 23"     oil on paper

Marcus has been a good friend since 1966 when we were freshman students at R.I.S.D., and I've written about his paintings before on this blog. He's always worked with integrity and passion, and I find his paintings have the wonderful quality of being simultaneously simple and complex - something that I believe is a fundamental found in life and nature, and by extension a fundamental quality shared by all great art, whether abstract or figurative.

For a number of years now, Marcus and his wife, Sally, have lived in the south of France and perhaps its warmth and sunlight have influenced this series of poetic and lyrical flower paintings. I hope my readers in the Boston area will take the time to see this exhibition.

Les Fleurs - Orange
Marcus Reichert
35" x 23"     oil on paper

Les Fleurs - Blue
Marcus Reichert
35" x 23"     oil on paper

Les Fleurs - Green
Marcus Reichert
35" x 23"     oil on paper

Marko

Marko

6 1/4" x 4 1/2"     oil on linen     2013

Over the years, I've done six or seven paintings and many drawings composed around the image of a single person smoking.  I like the theme, and the variations of gesture allow for interesting abstract possibilities. The compositions usually come to me either as a free thought while drawing or from direct experience. This painting, however, was inspired by a recent work by my friend, Marcus Reichert:  Mada Head Blue.

My title, Marko,  reflects the homage, though it's not intended to be an accurate portrait of Marcus.

Mada Head Blue
Marcus Reichert
size and medium unknown
Courtesy of Adelson Galleries Boston

Here are some of my other smokers:

Woman Smoking: Eliza

7 1/2" x 6"    oil on linen     2009

Private Collection, Maine

Eliza with Saigon Martini

6 1/4" x 5"     oil on linen     2000

Private Collection, New York

Lola Smoking

4 1/2" x 4 1/2"     oil on linen     1990

Private Collection, New York

Louie Smoking

4 1/2" x 4 1/2"     oil on linen     1990

Private Collection, New York

Annie Smoking

4 1/2" x 4 1/2"     oil on linen    1989

Private Collection, California

Marcus Reichert

White Table
Marcus Reichert
59" x 47"     oil and ink on canvas     2006
Courtesy of Adelson Galleries Boston

An exhibition of paintings by Marcus Reichert has opened at the Adelson Galleries Boston, to run until October 13th.

Marcus has been a good friend since we were freshman students at R.I.S.D. in 1966, and I've always admired the passion and sincerity in his work as well as his courage to paint true to his beliefs. His paintings may not always be the easiest to access, but contemplation will reveal their great depth and beauty.

Adam Adelson, director of the gallery, has written an excellent introduction in the online exhibition catalog:

         http://adelsongalleriesboston.com/exhibit/irrationalpainting/introduction/

Les Fleurs: Orange
Marcus Reichert
35 x 23 1/2"     oil on paper     2013
Courtesy of Adelson Galleries Boston

Spirits
Marcus Reichert
39 1/2" x 31 1/2"     oil and ink on canvas     2011
Courtesy of Adelson Galleries Boston

Orange Blossoms
Marcus Reichert
47" x 59"    oil and ink on canvas     2008
Courtesy of Adelson Galleries Boston

simple/complex

Andrew, I’d like to add a painting by Marcus Reichert to your post about how life and nature and great paintings all share the property of being simultaneously simple and complex. 

Tree
22" x 22" 1994
Marcus Reichert
Private Collection, France

This painting by Reichert is like that: deceptively simple and yet extremely complex. His image certainly reduces the tree to a basic shape; one that pretty much anyone anywhere would recognize as a tree.  Simple enough, but it’s also not so easy; as one looks, one finds it’s also incredibly complex and multi-layered. A great painting.

I’d like to add this painting to Grace DeGennaro’s to make the point that this quality is not bound to one way of working, but crosses the entire range of painting styles. As you wrote, from Memling to Pollock.

S.A.

Sally MacLeod and Marcus Reichert

Have recently read three excellent novels: Passing Strange by Sally MacLeod … and Hoboken and Verdon Angster by Marcus Reichert, Sally’s husband. The books are hard to find, but available through Amazon … all are very highly recommended.

Marcus is also a great painter, film-maker, and poet; will add a link to his web-site:  http://www.marcusreichert.com/

Leaf and Head
59" x 47 1/4"     oil    2006
Marcus Reichert