MASI - Modern Art Social Interest

A thematically loose collection, this collection uses its title mostly as an excuse to examine a variety of works with a variety of compositional themes - though the usual dual-theme convention is, to some extent, in effect here. Starting off, Avoid the Interesting leverages a somewhat miscolored yellow - some parts tinted a sickly green, others tinged slightly orange - and expressive shadows in its background to create something fascinating yet unappealing. The foreground is colored in such a way so as to contrast with the background, and its sense of motion is directed roughly towards the viewer, away from that background. Lining Up My Bars is the second instance of a particular vertical bars motif first seen a few collections ago, but takes a similar approach, with a metallic texture and a bright shine that moves across the image laterally. This time, the bars do not dominate the image, but simply serve as a subject, with their location and orientation relative to the cracks on the left and the bright spots on the right being meaningful with respect to the work's theme. Basking and Feeling is a relaxing purple work that strikes a nice balance of being populated without being overbearing or particularly energetic. The horizontal lines in the background are well spaced-out to give the impression of some activity, and the foreground of white is mostly clear, spread out lazily by the figure in the center. Unveiling the Mesh is surprisingly straightforward - a figure at the top left pulls away a yellow cover, revealing a grid impressed on a pink background. As the grid moves farther away from the corner, it begins to blend in with the background, implying a structure all over. The ripple wave that washes over part of the image helps to emphasize the grid's stability. But my personal favorite work this week is Curved Grill, a sharp, intense orange work that utilizes the curvature of ripple waves perfectly to make an impression. The work feels like heat, and the vertical lines towards the right especially give it a feel of upwards momentum, with the black circles getting caught in that. Please enjoy!