Mark Dutcher

Mark Dutcher's work is a combination of controlled chaos with a touch of whimsy. The touch of humor in Dutcher's work is unexpected because he is so very serious and thoughtful about his work. But this is the key to Dutcher's work, it is full of contrast.

Dutcher creates pieces that are very structured and then incorporates some kind of deconstruction that adds another layer of depth and meaning. A large cardboard wall of horizontal lines that is at once messy, dirty, and precise is a contrasting background to John McLaughlin inspired beams. The brightly colored rainbow beams sit on overturned cans, as though you have color pouring straight up and out of their containers.

Target looking circle and triangle forms are uniquely mounted on steel structures and protrude a couple of feet from the wall, reaching out to you in space. There is a wonderful contrast between solid constructs like the hanging apparatus, then precisely painted geometric forms, and the surface of the work that is scraped, scratched and paint splattered upon. It gives the work a very urban feel that acts as a backdrop to an emotional outpouring. This kind of contrast is a reoccurring theme in Dutcher's work. A battered pink triangle that is very clean in form, sits on the paint stained floor, surrounded by the striped cardboard field. Again there is this contrast of precise geometric form that remains solid within a landscape of surface deconstruction. In this case there is wonderful panorama that includes an Ab Ex floor, a 3D triangle, with a 2D horizontal grid, all in a gritty almost war torn battleground.

Dutcher's work addresses beauty and chaos in the perfect combination to describe the complexities of life, with all it's inherent structures and superficial turbulence.

The show is at Latned Atsar, by appointment.