Exploration with Attendants, Bears, and Rocks

Jonathan West’s new body of work delves into Brice Marden’s series titled “Attendants, Bears, and Rocks,” which was created in the mid-1990s and exhibited at Matthew Marks Gallery in May 2002.

Marden was inspired to create this series after an encounter with a black bear in the woods of rural Pennsylvania. Jonathan finds Marden’s approach to the “bear paintings” particularly intriguing because it does not aim for a direct depiction of the animal. Instead, Marden focuses on capturing the essence of the bear through abstract means. This approach allows for a free exploration of linearity for both Marden and the viewer, evoking the bear’s robust form, presence, and movement without relying on realistic representation.