ALEX MAR
One of the truly lamented art losses of 9/11 was a gigantic Bleckner painting of a humming bird beating its wings against a vibrating vertical field of pulsing op-stripes, a tour-de-force of a painterly verve which awed even the most casual acquaintance. This current exhibition (until 19 April) has something of the same energy and pizzazz, giving full rein to Bleckner’s most spectacular tricks of light and dazzle. This show includes a few of his more recent blobby molecular paintings, a sort of biotech trompe l’œil, which do not seem his strongest suit, yet the accompanying quasi-retrospective of Bleckner’s various stylistic riffs is really ultra-pleasing. Best of all is an installation of some hundred gorgeous little bird paintings (below, “Falling birds”, 2000) which, well-hung dare one say, in such a context, make one forgive Bleckner his envy-inducing success, fame, charm, intelligence, taste and finally fully embrace his rightful status –being a chic party animal does not ensure one’s triviality as a visual artist.