Into You Like A Train.

Look, I'm never gonna be without bias in regards to Louise Fishman. 1. Rosanna Bruno turned me on to her work, and Rosanna's never wrong. 2. Ms. Fishman said something very nice about the show I curated last year. But then again, y'all don't come here for my lack of bias, so . . .


This show RULES!!! And what did it make think of? One thing: Napalm Death. Napalm Death has been cranking out some of the fastest and most fierce Grindcore for 28 years. 28 years. That's, like, 150 in human years. The physical and psychic toll of doing this for that long is immeasurable, yet they've somehow always managed to keep it fresh and thrilling. They recently released one of the most brutal and politically charged records of their career.


Similarly, at the age of 70, Louise Fishman has delivered one of the most ferociously beautiful shows I've seen in a long time. Most of the paintings are large, but even the smaller pieces have a physical impact on the viewer. The freight train of this work runs straight from the artist's hand to the gallery walls and proceeds to careen right through you. You might see it coming around the bend, but that doesn't mean you're not going to feel it. Motion and color pull together to create a moment filled with both victory and struggle. This show makes all of Jerry Saltz' recent swipes at the "white cube" seem grasping and empty. You can keep your cave, J-man. Bring the paint like this and the walls disappear. It's just you, the painting, and all the attention in the world. An approaching locomotive will do that.


BONUS TRACK: Don't miss James Wagner's attentive and sweet reaction to this show.