the dimension of line: rosemarie castoro

[outside curve ii, 1976, mixed media, 5” x 14” x 6”]

“the dimension of line”—an exhibition of works by rosemarie castoro—spans four decades of endeavor. included are two- and three-dimensional works created from various media. whether rendered in steel, paper, wire, gesso, marble, dust, graphite, or hair, castoro’s work deals with concepts of line, volume, and spatial relationship perception. with work ranging from the early 1970’s, this installation—at tribeca’s hal bromm gallery—encompasses intimate- to large-format works embodying poetic engineering, choreographic gestures, and material transformations.

though with radically different media, castoro’s work breathes a conceptual pathos one finds in that by the late paul thek, who left a niche—both noble and idiosyncratic—in the art world.

“outside curve ii” [pictured] is among castoro’s captivating works in “the dimension of line.” in it (as with “inside corner” and “tight corner”) the shadow becomes impossible to contain. their irresistible kinesis can be felt in tentacles of darkness overcome by light. to view the shadow’s tentative assertions is a delight, and lends castoro’s work a powerful acuity. looming and kinetic, “triptych” harnesses the energy of visitors to “room revelation”—a reostatted room she built in the vancouver art gallery for its “995,000” exhibition in 1970. whimsy outpaces the banal in “hair pieces” an edition of 10 ink jet prints including “meine heir” (1993) and “hair nebula” (2004).

palpable with its exoskeletal aura, “cast of thousands” (1973) conveys the inexorability of its assemblage. stainless steel sculptures of dancers captured from drawing made during performances, “abt” (1997) and “butoh” (1997) render the tedium and eventual triumph of choreography’s travail.

from delineated brushstrokes in “dukes” (1972) and the glimpse at electrical activity in “break in the middle” (1971) to representations from the opera “don carlos”—“king phillip ii” and “rodrigo/don carlos” (1986)—castoro’s work wrestles with kinetic issues, indeed the very chemistry of movement. shown previously at the museum of modern art/new york, dusseldorf’s stadtische kunsthalle, new york’s ps 1, and mamco/geneva, viewing castoro’s work is a cognitive experience not to be missed.

through march 31, 2007/ hal bromm/
90 west broadway @ chambers/nyc 10007/
t 212.732.6196/on view by appointment/
halbromm@gmail.com
http://www.rosemariecastoro.com/