Art Map Burlington, April 2007

ART REVIEW

Clark Derbes’ “Life in the Slow Lane” at Sanctuary Artsite

Sanctuary Artsite on Maple Street was the March setting for the angular surrounds of the Clark Derbes installation “Life in the Slow Lane”. An accomplished painter, Derbes is fast becoming a local institution with this his third solo exhibition in Burlington in the last four years.

Freed from the confines of a canvas this particular occasion, Derbes’ sprawling vision of large, hacked segments of corrugated fiberboard, fastened to the walls and ornamented in an array of color, was well harmonized to Sanctuary’s large, naturally well lit space.

The angular shapes left untouched by Derbes’ prime color scheme added to the dimension of a work that was both pleasantly scenic and oddly ensnaring. Derbes’ aqua blue fragments traveled throughout the work and convened in a dribble of globular cardboard pieces, fluid in their spherical shape, leaked onto the gallery floor.

The exuberance of “Life in the Slow Lane” was Derbes unwillingness to adapt to a particular dimension: sections were both planar and three-dimensional depending on the place of the observer. The cardboard sheets, familiar for their rigidity and strength, were liberated of their stalwart nature and affably reinvented.

And yet the origins of Derbes compacted boxes were lastingly visible beneath their colorful new skin; handles, miscellaneous punctures, tears and scrapes from the materials previous life remained visible.

J.N. PRITCHARD, JR.

Art Map Burlington ARTICLE
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detail of Life in the Slow Lane installation, 2007 Clark Derbes’ paintings are on view during April's First Friday Art Walk at Pursuit Gallery as part of their “4x4” Series of exhibitions. His work may also be viewed online at www.jenkinsconnelly.com. Sanctuary Artsite 47 Maple Street (802) 864-5884 www.47sanctuary.com		ART REVIEW Clark Derbes’ “Life in the Slow Lane” at Sanctuary Artsite Sanctuary Artsite on Maple Street was the March setting for the angular surrounds of the Clark Derbes installation “Life in the Slow Lane”. An accomplished painter, Derbes is fast becoming a local institution with this his third solo exhibition in Burlington in the last four years. Freed from the confines of a canvas this particular occasion, Derbes’ sprawling vision of large, hacked segments of corrugated fiberboard, fastened to the walls and ornamented in an array of color, was well harmonized to Sanctuary’s large, naturally well lit space. The angular shapes left untouched by Derbes’ prime color scheme added to the dimension of a work that was both pleasantly scenic and oddly ensnaring. Derbes’ aqua blue fragments traveled throughout the work and convened in a dribble of globular cardboard pieces, fluid in their spherical shape, leaked onto the gallery floor. The exuberance of “Life in the Slow Lane” was Derbes unwillingness to adapt to a particular dimension: sections were both planar and three-dimensional depending on the place of the observer. The cardboard sheets, familiar for their rigidity and strength, were liberated of their stalwart nature and affably reinvented. And yet the origins of Derbes compacted boxes were lastingly visible beneath their colorful new skin; handles, miscellaneous punctures, tears and scrapes from the materials previous life remained visible. J.N. PRITCHARD, JR.

Art Map Burlington is a publication of Kasini House, Inc. info@kasinihouse.com Copyright © 2007 Kasini House. All Rights Reserved