THE ART BARN/FINCH LANE Gallery has put together some outstanding exhibits throughout the years. The current show by Marina Alexandrescu, Francesc Burgos and Paul Davis must rate among its best, effecting a unified look through noteworthy craftsmanship.
Born in Bucharest, Alexandrescu's work - pregnant with old-world yearnings and symbols - juxtaposes cultural dichotomies. She does this through oil paintings, monotypes and various mixed media."I have sought to bridge the gap between my past and present identities," writes Alexandrescu in her gallery notes, "and to explore my distant connection to the essence of the Romanian spirit." Glimpsing impressions of the artist's fingers in the ink of her monotype "The Town" adds another dimension to her bridging the gap.
Alexandrescu's figurative pieces are at times enigmatic, often surrealistic but always interesting. In "Charlie" (oil on canvas), the largest of her works, viewers will search for meaning in the figure on the right whose head is a large watch. And what of the clowns and the old woman's glass that holds another watch?
Burgos' ceramic platters, while well-crafted, have a "sameness" that discourages the viewer. The only exception is "Rectangular Platter With Blue Square" (ceramic). Here he breaks the monotony of the single, curvilinear plane and recesses a glazed blue rectangle.
The ceramacist's porcelain sake sets are another matter altogether. The Brancusian simplicity of these delicate porcelains is extraordinary and very "Zen." The vertical twisting and subtle curves of the slip-cast porcelain sake bottles approaches the sublime, and it was wise of the gallery to cover these sake sets with protective, quarter-inch plastic. Viewers will feel the sudden urge to fondle each piece.
Burgos' background in architectural, graphic and textile design are evident in his work.
Davis received his BFA and MFA from Boston University and has taught figurative painting at the University of Utah since 1976. His paintings and monoprints will be for many the highlight of the exhibit.
"Arcadian Scene" (oil on canvas) is a vertical landscape heaped with puzzling characters - a cast of players Shakespeare might have col-lected after a disturbing night's sleep. There are colorful, crisp patches of Cubist-like disgorge interrupted by serene, blended sections of umber, sienna and blue/green. The characters meander through this dizzying vista, forcing the eye to dance over the entire canvas, unable to rest.
Just as fetching are Davis' "Gulliver," "Caprice," "Astronomer's Breakfast" and "Shooting the Clowns."
The three-person exhibit at the Finch Lane Gallery will run through Feb. 21. For more information, call the gallery at 596-5000.