Myron Heise, Artist, in Return of the Native, reviewed by Patrick LaGreca and Claire Cioffero

Return of the Native
at Gallery 72

New York City Street Painter at Gallery 72

by Patrick LaGreca and
Clare Cioffero © 2002

McKenna's Blues Bar © Myron Heise

Art Review — NewYorkArtWorld ®

Myron Heise is a street painter. No, not a graffiti artist, as this moniker implies in contemporary art. Heise, a Bancroft, NE native, is a member of a group of eight New York city artists who took on this title in the late 1970s as they attempted to bridge the gap between art and life by painting life on New York City streets. The group known simply as The Street Painters adopted this process and called it "feelism". Their Declaration of Principles and Purposes declares that their "allegiance is to life and to an art of feeling that is responsive to the ecstasy and sorrow of living through recognizable images painted from life."

Historically their method is known as "plein aire" (open-air) painting, and is based on capturing the immediate moment as it presents itself. Traditionally the paintings were executed on sight, in one sitting with no further additions or changes.

Heise has shown work as far back as 1978 in Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio; the list goes on and on. He is the treasurer of The Street Painters and has participated in workshops, written essays and taught art throughout his long career. Bob Rogers, owner of Gallery 72 said he wants people to know that there are " ... people from Nebraska who do make a living in art." Rogers is a fount of information, art history, opinions and stories. He enthusiastically recommends Heise's work.

Heise's latest show, "Return of the Native - NYC Street Painter", is a more than adequate example of the continued relevance of the plein aire process. Presented are a dozen oil paintings and 15 ink drawings all taken from life scenes in New York City.

Heise somewhat keeps within the confines of the plein aire tradition, however, many times he will execute a drawing on site and then create a painting at a later time in his studio. Regardless of the process, he succeeds in closing that elusive art and life gap. His work screams of immediacy.

My Birthplace

. . . allegiance is to life and an art of feeling . . .

Subway 125th Street

The standouts seem to b e a number of pieces centered in and around the subway. "Subway 125th Street" is perhaps the mainstay of these. Here Heise shows off his command of perspective, together with a well-defined, expressionistic addressing of the figure. The moment in time, though frozen, remains kinetic due to the permeating potential energy. The painting is of a lone figure, leaning casually against the yellowed, tiled walls of a subway station. Train tracks extend into a deep tunnel. Additionally, many of the ink drawings deal with subway themes, crowds of people waiting for a train, a subway street entrance and the oncoming headlights of a distant train.

Several pieces centered around Times Square at night, such as "Times Square with Two Faces" and "Times Square - Cars Coming" are delightful depictions of one of the most famous intersections. Of these, the most successful (as is the case with the entire show) are hose where Heise is not afraid to get some paint on the canvas. It seems when the pigment is used more liberally, the brush strokes convey more power. The result is the pieces are not only aesthetically more present, they become more analytical, and thus provide more insight into the environment being depicted. He captures the frenetic energy of the intersection with car headlights, lights of the theater marquees, lights of the advertisements all in an explosion of color.

The "flatter" or more deliberate pieces, like "Candy and Grocery" and "Pastis," do have their merits. The street scenes, particularly the storefronts, take on an Edward Hopper tone that works in its own right.

Perhaps even doe notable in these and other pieces are Heise's treatment of signage (photo-realist Robert Cottingham comes to mind). In paying such close attention to these modern icons he reminds the viewer of how much art stares us in the face even during a simple walk down the street.

Through his representational, figurative approach, Heise attempts and succeeds at presenting abstract concepts relating to man in his environment. In his words "The symbols of people, their gestures, buildings, objects, landscapes, etc., have to be used to create a link with the mysterious 'abstract' that are the essence of human experience. Color, shape, brushwork, idea do not have enough range or power on their own."