by Eva Dameron
Daily Lobo
Jesse Reichek's life and art were inseparable.
"He's such a fascinating person to learn about because of his personal disciplines and his dedication to art," said Sara Otto-Diniz, co-curator of "Concerning the Mystical in Art," a UNM Art Museum exhibit of Reichek's work.
The show runs through Dec. 21.
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Otto-Diniz said Reichek's paintings mirror his philosophy of living simply.
"It's quiet," she said. "It's very quiet art. How can we get away with just using a little, and how can we do that in our lives?"
Born and raised in New York in an Orthodox Jewish community, Reichek developed a commitment to social justice. After working as a camouflage instructor in the army in World War II, he studied painting in Paris on the G.I. Bill. He married the daughter of a French painter in 1950, who remained his artistic and philosophical muse for the rest of his life.
The show is composed of three series.
One series gets a lot out of a minimal palette and thick, squiggly lines.
"You see just this wide, wiggly line, and sometimes it comes back onto itself and forms a shape, but it's really just that line that he's able to manipulate and use in such a variety of ways," Otto-Diniz said. "You could never imagine that you could do so much with so little. I think that's what is phenomenal about this exhibition."
She said the first step to taking in abstract art is to slow down and trust yourself.
"Take the time to sit in front of something and slow down -- that's my biggest tip," she said. "Go with a friend and talk about it, and you get into this deep, quiet kind of meditative space. When we had the reception, you could feel all the energy people came in with just sinking down until you were in this wonderful place where you can really start seeing - which is different from looking."
She also countered the notion that abstract art can be made by anybody and shouldn't be taken seriously.
"There's a controlled line that you see throughout all of this, and I think this kind of distillation that he's forged doesn't happen until you're older," Otto-Diniz said. "It's sort of like the stones in the stream need to be worn away and the rough edges worn down, and life does that at some level."
The second series is a collection of small lithographs Reichek made at the Tamarind Institute when it was in Los Angeles as an homage to three artists who inspired him - Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian, some of the earliest abstract painters.
In 1971, Reichek withdrew from the art world. He felt the commercial aspect of creating art would taint his artistic integrity.
"He was one of the fortunate ones who could make a living working as a teacher of design at Berkeley, so he did have a job and could just keep painting and painting and not show it to anyone," Otto-Diniz said.
The third series features his works from the late '80s and early '90s. You can see how his work changed after his withdrawal. It's less minimal, featuring paintings he did for each of the 117 verses of the book The Song of Songs.
"This was his discovery of what it was to be human," Otto-Diniz said. "The Song of Songs, in the Old Testament, is one of the most beautiful love poems in the history of literature. Give yourself a treat and read this most beautiful poetry."
Reichek died in 2005 at 89. He left behind more than 3,000 paintings.
