Hyperallergic Names Martha Alf “10 Art Shows to See in LA This July”
10 Art Shows to See in LA This July
Martha Alf, “Four Red Pears with Black Background” (1991), Verithin pencil on Arches paper, 22 1/4 x 30 inches (image courtesy Michael Kohn Gallery)
Martha Alf’s paintings of toilet paper rolls and pears are deceptively simple. Thoughtful studies of color, form, and light, her still lifes engage with 20th-century movements such as Minimalism, Pop Art, and Photorealism while reflecting the influence of Renaissance masters like Vermeer. Through vibrant color juxtapositions, dramatic lighting, and careful composition, this late California-based artist, who died in 2019, was able to present the mundane as monumental.