Lemberg Gallery
23241 Woodward Ave.

Ferndale, MI 48220-1361
www.lemberggallery.com

Tues-Sat 11am-5pm.
10/26 through 11/30.


Lemberg Gallery presents a retrospective of the work of artist Maurice Golubov. Born in Russia in 1905, Golubov arrived in America in 1915. As a teenager Golubov began supporting himself doing commercial art, which he would continue to do for nearly the rest of his life. This allowed him the freedom to paint while never being reliant on the influence of commercial saleability. He was later linked and exhibited with the Abstract Expressionist movement, but for the most part he remained removed from the art world. This tendency towards isolation nevertheless did not stop the successful exhibition of his work.





One of the nicest things about a show as comprehensive as this one, is that the audience gets a true education on the growth and development of the artist. Lemberg presents the work clockwise chronologically around the walls so that Golubov’s final pieces meet his first. This makes for a fascinating convergence. This earliest triplet of paintings contains all the information that the rest of his career was to have. The triplet includes a strikingly earnest self-portrait. It is a loosely painted piece that ties nicely into his later figurative work. An urban landscape fills the background – a template for later geometric works. The other two paintings of the triplet are geometric color design studies that also informed the later works. His growth in technique and complexity over time is obvious, yet the core of Golubov’s work stayed intact throughout his career.





Metropolis





Untitled done in Florida


The system of symbols comprising his geometric abstract compositions fills increasingly more space over time. It is as though his depth perception grew greater, like getting a stronger and stronger microscope to examine reality. The spaces in between forms in earlier pieces become filled with smaller, yet similar levels of complex symbols. To accomplish this, Golubov exchanged organic qualities present in earlier pieces for more precise and mechanical constructions as his symbol system becomes more refined. A significant shift in his palette occurred late in his life coinciding with a move from New York to Florida. The warm, raw tones of the New York City pieces are subsumed with a brighter, cooler palette brought about by the Florida environment.





While the exhibit is mostly geometric abstract pieces, it is a delight to see his figurative works. He persisted in working on these his entire career and Lemberg showcases one particular period of these paintings. Golubov painted these with thick, expressive loose strokes, often allowing the underpainting to show through. The figurative paintings provide insight into his other works, as the similarities between the seemingly dissimilar styles become evident in comparison.



This is a tremendous body of work that can be uniquely appreciated when viewed together. The opportunity to witness a career like Golubov’s develop, grow and come full circle is both interesting and informative and not to be missed.