Rick Begneaud

Article Written by Stephanie Buhmann
The Villager, New York - Volume 79, Number 4 - July 2009

Four separate shows, showing below Houston
'The discovery of many rare treasures' awaits'

This two-person show, featuring Mark Mastroianni & Rick Begneaud makes a good case for poetic abstraction in painting. Both artists favor a palette that combines pastels with occasional earth tones and they share an obvious affinity for organically morphing forms. Their works are atmospheric, soothing and what most would consider as transcendent. While there is a sense spontaneity in the expressive nature of some of Mastroianni's and Begneaud's of gestures,their compositions are well thought out and balanced. Harmonious is the adjective that is most applicable; and it is while looking at the often-disguised content that one will find two artists who seem very much in unison with their environment.

Mastroianni and Begneaud both draw extensively from their experiences and relations to what surrounds them. But whereas Mastroianni is strongly influenced by nature (in particular the motions of water and the reflection of light), Rick Begneaud's inspiration is deeply rooted in his extensive travels, as well as the places and the people he encounters. To both, mixed media is a means to express their eclectic experiences and thoughts. Mastroianni, though also working with oil on canvas, has long favored tarpaper - which enables him to build up smooth surfaces. His imagery, (often ethereal, ranging from abstract to illustrative), seems to float above and within these in- between spaces - constantly on the verge of transformation

In contrast, Begneaud embraces collage to create compositions that hint at geometric organization. He in particular appropriates textiles that he gathers from the many places he visits, mounting them onto the canvas as rectangular shapes and combining them with painted accents, such as red color dots. In contrast to some other shows this month that preach the radical, Mastroianni and Begneaud continue along a path that is as private as it is introspective and calm.