Sunday, October 30, 1994 / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

WADE WILSON IN THE GALLERIES

A thought-provoking departure from everyday form and function

In a two-artist exhibit at Forest Park Art Space, Rob Caslin and Art McSweeney’s intimate paintings draw viewers in for a closer look and then blow them away. Both artists’ paintings function on many levels, but the only common threads are their thoughtful technique and their intimate scale.

McSweeney’s recent paintings are a bit of a departure from the previous works seen in Forest Park Art Space’s inaugural exhibition. He is moving in a decidedly modernist direction, with bands of color recalling Mondrian.

Panels of carefully sanded wood serve as backdrops for McSweeney’s images. In Neutral Composition with Red, a single, horizontal expanse of charcoal gray is pierced only by a vertical strike that falls just to the left of the middle. The vericle line separates the painting into two portions, de-emphasizing the panel’s horizontality.

Caslin takes everyday items, such as an ashtray or coffee mug, and paints them in a photorealistic style. Caslin paints with precision and a marvelous awareness of light, detail and accuracy. Some works are infused with humor and fantasy, such as his dancing cigarette butts, which offsets their otherwise pedestrian existence.

In one untitled work, Caslin forms a central figure from a group of cigarette butts in the center of a circle of dead cockroaches. Herein lies the twist: Although the subject matter is offputting, Caslin portrays the bugs and butts in such a stunning manner that, coupled with the implication of dance and gesture, you can look past the paintings harshness.