Secret

Every canvas in Gloria Garfinkel's new body of work is a large rectangular expanse of red punctuated by two small geometric forms bearing stripes of contrasting colors. Close inspection yields new information.

Embedded in the red field, in subtle shades of red, the word secrets is repeated over and over again. Secrets-the word cascades over the canvas, whispering, inviting the viewer to come closer, to be one of the initiated.

The shapes of contrasting colors are recognized as hinged doors, and the act of opening and peering behind them begins the initiation. Each reveals a recess filled with tiny two- and three-dimensional treasures awaiting discovery. Garfinkel masterfully juxtaposes fragments of the detritus of everyday life, encoding them with additional layers of meaning. Decoding the meaning of each box becomes a dialogue between artist and viewer. The conversation is not always pleasant, as many secrets are disquieting, but it is rewarding.

When conceptual and cultural contrasts such as public and private, personal and societal, secular and sacred are thrust together, a dynamic tension is created. Given current events, perhaps the most provocative work in the collection is the piece that focuses on government. American flags appear in one recess. Other symbols of our promise as a nation include references to the vow of citizenship, our diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural background, economic and technical innovation, and our constitution. "We the people" is an open secret-the secret to our success. As Justice Brandeis eloquently noted, "They [who won our independence] believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty."

But what other secrets does America keep-secrets that we do not openly acknowledge, that we hide from view? Allusions to government secrets, both historical and contemporary, are found in the work. Our treatment of the people of the First Nations, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, spy planes and cameras, Nixon's tapes, and weapons of mass destruction tell a darker story of our government. All serve to remind us of Harry Truman's observation that "Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix."

Garfinkel explores the Peoples Republic of China in a second recess. Traditional medicines, including acupuncture, are paired with allusions to China's growth in the global markets for products ranging from bamboo products to space technology. Period photographs of Chairman Mao are paired with visual representations of slogans from the Cultural Revolution. Most chilling are references to the fifty million people who dies on the Long March, the one hundred million who have perished in the Hunan AIDS crisis, and a government policy that favors abortion over contraception.

Whether she is exploring government or themes such as beauty, vice, babies, the brain, and religion, a tribute to Garfinkel's artistry is that the political and social content of her work does not overwhelm its poetry. Her art is neither shrill nor righteous. Rather, it reveals a thoughtful mind and a willingness to engage with complex issues that help define our humanity. A suite of prints serves as companion pieces to the paintings. Garfinkel has taken her working drawings for the doors of the canvases and rendered them as photo-etchings with silkscreening and hand embellishment. These are very satisfying works. They are at once simple and complex, delicate and bold, hard-edged and painterly. They hint at the secrets of the creative process.

Mara Williams
Independent Curator
September 2004