Ray Charles White at David Adamson - Washington, D.C - Brief Article

Art in America, Nov, 2003 by Joe Shannon

The specific clarity of Ray Charles White's photo-derived, editioned silkscreen views of moving water--and water plants standing fixedly and poetically in the liquid--gave the entire gallery a cool ambiance. These remarkable works, characterized by an almost Minimalist simplicity and repetition, are screened on shiny aluminum, which gives them an inner luminosity. Their generous scale and the variety of their groupings made the exhibition an exceptionally vivid experience.

Several large horizontal shimmering pieces each called Resonate present the image of rain falling on water. Two are 20 by 66 inches, one brown on gold and the other blue on blue. The simple elliptical dimpling in various sizes is absolutely musical, while the machined perfection and glowing metallic finish of the aluminum make for a magical presence.

Within other similarly formatted horizontal works, such as two that are titled Frequency, the Canadian-born, New York-based artist, who was formerly known for celebrity portraits, has dramatically illuminated closely spaced ripples in breathtaking variation. Boundless has more muscular, diagonal, widely spaced waves, and establishes another mood entirely.

One of several mural-size assemblies of different ripple images is titled 12 Panel Surface Tension. Another has 20 panels, among which are a few images from the 12-part piece, set in new combinations. In these simple water views, the immense beauty and variety of our natural world embrace us.