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Brush Fire
Mark Lee Goldberg Ignites His World of Color
The flower pot is broken, its soil and leaves scattered amidst the jagged terracotta wedges. Mark Lee Goldberg’s 1994 still life is certainly infused with drama - if you want it to be. Could this be the result of a lover’s quarrel…or perhaps simply the misdeed of an aloof, wandering cat: a Humpty-Dupty fluke of life caught on canvas? “It was just there, in my mind,” says Goldberg. The 43 year-old Los Angeles artist is certainly glad the pot’s crash evokes wildly diverse narratives for its viewers, from trauma to happenstance and everything in between. What sparked the image for him, however, was nothing less than his aching heart. It came about in 1993 when Gary Gleason, his partner of 11 years, died after a long battle with AIDS. During his illness, the couple realized a lifelong dream of Gleason’s by building a greenhouse in their backyard. During his last months, Gleason nurtured the soil and seeds, cultivating a rich mosaic of life and color. Fueled by grief and inspiration, Goldberg started painting, a refuge he had often sought since he was a boy. Inevitably, somber darkness and harsh sunlight appeared on canvas. “Broken Pot” was the pivotal piece of Gary’s Greenhouse and Garden; his first professional and thematic series of works on canvas. “The broken pot,” Goldberg explains, “was Gary’s life.”
The 18 paintings that make up Gary’s Greenhouse and Garden sold quickly. In the years since, Goldberg has harvested a prolific and diverse body of work. Enchantingly dream-like at times, Goldberg’s paintings are charged with emotional resonance and can be rife with moody symbolism. They are best viewed as portals into what appear to be mystical fragments of reality. Inside, we encounter dreamy visions of sun-dappled gardens, poetic architectural vignettes, and poignantly-carved portraits of noble, everyday characters. His three self-portraits manifest Goldberg’s evolving stylistic technique. Essentially self-taught, Goldberg has shifted from an exacting Realism to a more liberating Impressionism. Using many layers of colors and glazes, his brush strokes now convey more accurately – indeed realistically – the frenzied, ongoing storylines humming just behind his paintings. “ I try to interpret what I see,” he explains, “not just what’s on the surface.” The interplay of light and color, always a fascination of Goldberg’s, defines his paintings’ evocative potential. In this way Goldberg moves beyond depicting merely color; he conjures its very temperature. His Beachball series is a case in point. Here we zoom in on the hushed stillness of a pool’s surface, where a looming, jungle red plastic ball is enflamed by warm sunlight and the water’s limpid blue skin echoes the cool splashing of swimmers just gone. Similarly, a child’s sweaty cheek glistens an exuberant yellow (Addie’s Love). His exotic color palette lends his subjects an ethereal glow. Truly, Goldberg thrives on the grand eloquence of his subjects.
Paradoxically, while light and color drive his interpretation of a scene, its final construction is achieved through the methodical application of a complicated, time-honored science of color composites. This is perhaps where Goldberg’s experience as a photographer and previous career as a film and videotape editor are most evident. In preparing to paint, he experiments with computer-aided photo-colleges, lighting, and coloring. He deconstructs realistic images into their basic components, and re-combines them within his intended design. Goldberg’s unconventional thematic color and compositional techniques have become part of his artistic statement. In doing so he confronts us, quite literally, with the compelling message of his art. At times he poses unavoidable questions, like with the muscular barman’s tempting offer of a mind-bending cocktail (Margarita Bartender) or the pained look of a woman lost in a bitter-sweet reverie (Melancholy). Ultimately, be it a nude figure daring us to consider his or her non-sexual physicality, a gentle garden path tempting us to escape, or the abrupt, dizzying pull into the inner, abstract jungle of a Century plant, Goldberg’s paintings unlock a unique, often forceful view into another world.
Goldberg has donated many paintings to the fundraising events of organizations such as Aids Project Los Angeles (APLA), The Center, and the Music Center. The artist’s work is collected by many of the creative forces in Hollywood today, among them producers Craig Zadan, and David Permut, and award-winning songwriters Stephen Schwartz, Dean Pitchford, and Alan Rich. Goldberg’s themed exhibitions include several sell out gallery and restaurant shows, and a debut at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Sales and Rental Gallery. Goldberg’s artwork and personal approach has been a featured subject in several magazines; additionally he has been recognized in numerous articles including The Los Angeles Times and Art & Understanding. Publishing credits include the hardback The Best of Acrylic Painting, greeting cards, magazine covers, and art posters. He may be contacted regarding special projects through his Web site at www.markleegoldberg.com.
Max Harrold is a freelance writer and journalist. He may be contacted via e-mail at MaxHarrold@aol.com.
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