Elizabeth Leach Gallery is pleased to present Idiom, new paintings by Pat Boas. The paintings in Idiom push the boundaries of Boas’ abstract style. Drawing from observation and memory, Boas populates her work with a multitude of shapes, some harkening back to letter forms, others derived from fragments of objects and spatial relationships she notices throughout the day.
Much of Boas’ past work has been built around the written word, with letter forms often used as the basis for her layered, abstract paintings. This exhibition offers a departure from the word-asimage style which drove her earlier approach. In these new heavily layered paintings, Boas seeks to make meaning from sequences of formal decisions rooted in — but lying beyond — language. Certain pieces are akin to cubist still-life while others use moments of geometry to anchor a more atmospheric surface. Through improvisation and material exploration, Boas builds on the memory of familiar forms which then find their way onto her canvas. In this way, the show’s title of “idiom” finds its footing; each piece is made up of many unassuming fragments brought together, deriving new purpose from their relationship and proximity to one another.
