"Rallou Malliarakis: In the Presence of Birches"
2006-04-25 until 2006-05-20
First Street Gallery
New York, NY, USA United States of America

A birch tree commands our attention. Its heft and uprightness seem to echo a luminous pillar or stately column. The intricate textures of bark and dazzling kaleidoscope of color that play across the surface of trunk and branches are mesmerizing qualities that draw us time and again into its presence. In her last exhibition at First Street Gallery, Rallou Malliarakis explored the appeal of these hauntingly beautiful trees. In her new solo show on view from April 25th through May 20th at First Street, her perspective has shifted. No longer does the artist immerse herself primarily in the arresting visual impact of birches; instead, she enters into a delicate, complex interchange with the trees themselves.

Through these paintings and works on paper the viewer is invited to experience something akin to a wordless pulse between the painter and her noble subjects, who by their nature must remain "deeply rooted albeit dancing still." (Octavio Paz, "The Sunstone.") The vehicle of discourse is vibrant color and unexpected juxtapositions of tonalities which, in many of her pieces, trace the juncture between bold, well-seasoned trunks and break away branches.

In this exhibition we enter a microcosm encompassing the individual artist and an element from nature that presses well beyond the prism of realism. Malliarakis has given eloquent voice to her subjective experience "in the presence of birches." Her adroit experimentation with color and dynamic, architectural compositions imbue this body of new work with expression, vitality, and quiet strength.

The First Street Gallery promotes their artists' works with a Gallery Portfolio at absoltuearts.com. View more works at the gallery at: http://galleries.absolutearts.com/galleries/firststreetgallery.

For more information about this exhibition at: http://galleries.absolutearts.com/cgi-bin/galleries/show?what=exhibitions&id=602&login=firststreetgallery.

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