Written by: Joe Nicolaou/ SF Examiner
There are several influences that come to mind when viewing Owen Geronimo’s Art. The foremost, is the influence of Jackson Pollack. The stream of consciousness, painting which Pollack and others developed, was in itself influenced by the French Surrealists, Renee Magritte, Salvador Dali, Ives Tanguy, who came before him.
It was these European Surrealist artists that came to this country after WWII, which so influenced the New York Abstract Expressionists, and Modern Art. The Surrealists influence on American Art is staggering, yet rarely acknowledged. From this reservoir of creativity, Jackson Pollack developed this style, which came to be known as drip dry.
Jackson Pollack would stand over a composition, and throw paint in feverish, strokes, never thinking or intellectualizing, just animal strokes of paint. This was borrowing from the concept of Surrealism, and its emphasis on the subconscious. The only way to expose the subconscious is by not over analyzing or thinking, just doing, action! Action painting is also what this was referred as. The black, and blue in his Abstract untitled, and his Heart-shaped, and Affection isn’t only reminiscent of Haring, but of the blues of Jasper Johns. At the age of 24, Jasper decided, “to stop becoming, and be an artist”.
At the time this art was ridiculed. It wasn’t seen as economically viable. This is the wrong argument, and we as artists today have the opportunity to show and educate people, by leading the way, and not compromising. You don’t have to compromise your values/aesthetics, people like Jackson Pollack proved that in the past, and was very successful in standing up to the popular tastes of his time. We have to insist on our artistic integrity, we have to stand up to popular taste, because popular taste is always conservative and safe, and no true innovation ever comes out of it.
The Garden of Eden, a major work of Jackson Pollack, is displayed at SFMOMA. This work is on permanent display, and a must for anyone who ever visits. It is the most substantial work of Art I have seen at SFMOMA. If you have never seen it, go see it. This is a definitive example of abstract Art, and is one of the most singularly influential pieces of modern Art.
Owen Geronimo’s work displays this same postmodern abstract design, which is at the core of all figurative artwork today. I do have a preference for figurative Art. I am a believer in classic, figurative Art. Painting, sculpture. Owen’s ode to Keith is endearing. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Without it, we would never have any great new Art. If you don’t know or can’t reference what came before you, how are you to produce/create anything new? All great Art is a copying of previous styles, and using them to create new styles. This is Art 101.
